Welcome to the Trip
by cophineonthescene
Summary: Cophine High School AU - 90s French exchange. Cosima and Delphine have been writing to each other for around a year now, and the exchange their schools had planned is venturing nearer. Cosima experiences life in Delphine's home in Paris, featuring vespa rides, the Seine at night, coffee shops and math class, and eventually San Fran. (basc abs. Cophine fluff,i know what u guys want)
1. Chapter 1

**_AN: Hey CloneClub. This is my first OB fic so here goes. I'm just kicking this off with 2 MINI chapters, to force me to upload, and I will try to upload often._**

**I would love any reviews or feedback, so thanks for coming to read my fic! Enjoy!**

The letter box clanged shut, and a white rectangular envelope dropped to the floor. Footsteps hammered down the frail staircase, and muffled shouting could be heard from behind a closed door.

"Juliette! Juliette no! Wait!"

A young girl bounded towards the front door, quickly followed by her older sister, who gave up and waited on the stairs, annoyance and excitement evident on her face.

"Del-phine Corm-ier...c'est pour toi..." She sang, her eyes twinkling mischeviously as she waved the letter in the air.

"Give me it!" Delphine shouted. "Give me it, Juliette, you know I have been waiting."

Juliette peered at the handwriting on the front, taking her time.

"Juliette." A distant voice called. "Give her it, now."

The sparkle in her mocking eyes went out as she was forced to give in.

Delphine walked down the stairs slowly and snatched the letter from her sister's hand.

"What does it say? Delphine, read it!"

Delphine smiled over her shoulder as she ran upstairs and shut her bedroom door. It was finally here!

_Hello Delphine._

_My name is Cosima and I am your new penpal! I'm seventeen years old, and I am - as I think you would say- a science geek. I study biology, chemistry, physics, french and classical studies. What about you?_

_I think our schools are going to do an exchange, and it will be fun to talk to you in these letters!_

_Um, okay. The facts._

_The boring stuff!_

_I have brown hair... dreadlocks(!) And I wear glasses. I need them because my mom said that I use the computer too much, but I don't know._

_Also, I'm a little German, I love animals, I have a snake, and I spend a lot of my free time with my cousin, Alison. I hope you two can meet when you come here._

_I live in San Francisco, it's probably very different from Paris, I think. But I guess we'll find out!_

_Kisses!_

Cosima.


	2. Chapter 2

Cosima sat on her balcony, the Californian sun beating down relentlessly. It was summer, and the melting pavements were full of tourists and people enjoying the weather. She sat with her feet up on the metal railings as she pored over a biology textbook.

"Hey, Cosima? A voice shouted from the street below.

Cosima got to her feet slowly, and leaned over the bannister, her dreadlocks swinging around her ears.

"Yeah, hey Scott! S'up?" She shouted back.

"I've got something for you!" He grinned.

Cosima rolled her eyes, and climbed over onto the fire escape stairs, her footsteps clanging on the metal as she ran.

"Hey, what is it?" She said as she reached somewhere near the bottom.

"There's a letter for you. Handwritten. I was intrigued." He smirked, holding the letter at his full arm's length as Cosima stretched down to reach it.

She observed the elegantly flowing handwriting, and the stamp that read Paris, FR, and smiled.

"I've got a new friend, Scotty. She's French." She laughed.

"Wha- whaddo you mean?"

"Oh, we've been assigned pen pals at school. We're doing a French exchange sometime next year."

"Sweet. Well, I'd better go anyway. I've gotta get rid of this lot by 12."He said, gesturing to the red mail bag over his shoulder.

"Yeah, sure. Seeya round." Cosima said, waving coolly as she began to climb back up the steps.

She couldn't help but smile as she slid a finger beneath the paper flap at the back. She tore through it with one swipe, and read it as she walked through the balcony doors and into the apartment.

She collapsed onto the leather couch as she read.

Hello Cosima,

I am Delphine, thank you for your letter, I have been very excited to receive it! I am also 17. This is so strange, you are a science geek too?! I study Chemistry, Biology, Physics, Maths and English.

You have dreadlocks? That is very cool. I have blonde hair, and brown eyes, but no glasses. Maybe because I do not have a computer yet!

I am a little Quebecois, but mostly Parisien, and I have a petit chat, Moot. I live with my mother, my father and my sister, Juliette - she will be 13 next week.

I am very excited for this exchange, it will be so fun! I look forward to your next letter.

Love,

Delphine.


	3. Chapter 3

Cosima stepped off the plane onto the tall metal staircase. She pushed her glasses further up the bridge of her nose as she squinted into the evening sun. It was setting, orange and warm in the distance. She drew in a deep breath.

"Here goes." She sighed to herself.

The ambience was soon shattered as she was pushed from behind.

"Hey, hurry up Cosima, let me past, jeez." An impatient voice narked.

"Uh, get lost Donnie." She answered, and began to walk down the stairs.

She had been seated next to Donnie Hendrix on the plane for the last 10 hours. Where was Alison when you needed her? Why did she have to fail French last year?

The school group tried to stick together, but Cosima's mind wandered with the new atmosphere around her.

"Charles de Gaulle." She whispered, smiling as she read the large sign over her head.

She grabbed her bag from the conveyor belt, and tried to sidle away from Donnie.

"Cosima! Jennifer, come over here. Everybody!" The teacher shouted, straining her voice so it could be heard over the masses of people.

"I know this all seems scary now, but this is an experience you will never forget, one which will be very beneficial for your French studies. Soon you will go to find your host families, whom I hope you have kept in frequent contact with, and they will take you to their home where you will stay for the week. If there are any problems, you have my number, and I will always be here if you need anything at all." She assured. "Okay, bonne chance, and on y va!"

The group exploded into chatter, nervous and excited.

Cosima stayed calm, and tore herself away from her classmates. She was glad to escape them now, wheeling her large suitcase towards the exit.

As she entered the large room, the first thing that she encountered was the immense amount of people, bustling past each other, each in their own rush. How would she ever find Delphine in this mass?

Then the thought struck her: she didn't even know what she looked like.

She suddenly became worried that she would get lost in the mass of busy businessmen and women, families of tourists and other bewildered non-Europeans. She stood on her tiptoes, craning her neck as far as she could to see over the sea of heads. Why did she have to be so damn short?

Finally she got to the pick-up area.

People holding names scrawled onto torn cardboard stood searching wearily with tired eyes, the more enthusiastic holiday reps waving their laminated signs in the air.

Cosima scanned all the signs she could see, squinting behind her glasses. People of all ages stood waiting dutifully, but Cosima noticed that there was quite a large number of people her own age, all clutching cards excitedly.

One dark haired girl held a sign saying 'Jennifer Fitzsimmonds' - one of Cosima's old childhood friends; the boy next to her holding a card reading 'Donnie Hendrix'. She breathed a sigh of relief. She was in the right place.

She searched the faces of all the younger people she could see, looking for Delphine's blonde hair; the only feature she knew of to distinguish her from the others.

Then she saw a girl, with blonde wavy hair, looking brightly, though blindly around for whoever she was waiting for.

She held a white sheet with COSIMA written in large red letters.

Cosima drew in a deep breath. This was it!

"Delphine?" She said, smiling as she approached the girl.

Delphine snapped her searching gaze to Cosima, finally she was here!

"Cosima?! It is you?" She exclaimed, rushing forward to hug her warmly. Then she pulled back, and kissed her twice on each cheek.

"Bonjour- I mean hello! It's so great to finally meet you."

Cosima blushed, she wasn't used to this French intimacy.

"Uh, yeah, it's great to meet you too!" She blurted.

Delphine held her at arms length, smiling through her eyes.

"Wow, this is so amazing, non?" She said simply.

"Yah, crazy, right?" Cosima answered, laughing. "Finally putting a face to the letters! So - do I look like how you expected?"

"Umm, yes. I think so." She cocked her head. "I like these."

She said, flicking one of Cosima's dreadlocks.

Cosima laughed her hearty laugh.

"What about me? Do I look like how you thought?" Delphine asked.

"Ooh, yeah I think so. Your hair's pretty awesome too."

"Merci, mon ami." Delphine answered, gesturing for them to walk. "So, how was your trajet-I mean-"

"Ah, the journey was fine." Cosima finished, smiling. "Just a bit long, ya know?"

"Oui, oui. Oh, you must be tired! My family are waiting for us in the car. They cannot wait for you to meet them."

"Oh! Great. Is your sister here too?" Cosima asked energetically.

"Yes, yes she is here to see you. We are all so excited!" She beamed, meeting Cosima's brown eyes with her own.

"Here, let me take that for you." She said politely, furrowing her brow as if disappointed in herself that she didn't ask before.

"Oh, cool, thanks Delphine. Sorry it's so big, I'm rubbish at packing light." Cosima confessed.

"Oh, it's nothing. I do not mind. I am just glad you are here!" She said, pulling the handle up and wheeling the suitcase behind her.

They left the airport, the winter air bringing a crisp redness to their cheeks. Cosima wrapped her red coat further around herself.

"Yes! I forgot, you are not used to our weather! I expect it is not so cold in San Francisco, non?" Delphine laughed.

"Nope." Cosima shivered, grinning. "Definitely not."

"Well, welcome to France, Cosima!" She announced, as they walked slowly across the frosty car park.

"Merci! This is the first time I've left America, you know." Cosima confessed.

"Is it really? Well I also have never left France, so this will be a new experience for us both, non? Don't worry, I will look after you... aw mon pauvre petit chiot." She teased.

"Hey..!" Cosima protested, punching her friend on the arm.

She realised this was probably not a very French thing to do. But Delphine got the gist, and she laughed fondly.

Cosima noticed the freckle under her lip, and the way her hair bounced when she walked, held back on one side with a clip. Alison would say she was 'cute' or something.

It was strange to finally see who she had been writing to over the past year. They had shared everything; their secrets, to their daily mundane tales, funny stories, to music talk. They had become each other's best friends, they felt like they knew everything about each other, yet they had never spoken a word. And this was the first time either one had seen the other's face.

C'etait bizarre. Pour les deux.

They approached a green minivan, Delphine unable to contain her anticipation. She reminded Cosima of an excitable puppy, bounding up to her family who filed out of the van politely.

"Cosima." A tall woman said as she closed the door behid her.

'_More kissing?_' Cosima guessed.

She kissed Cosima on each cheek, before the man she presumed to be Delphine's father did the same.

"Bienvenue, Cosima." He said warmly, "We hope you will feel at home with us."

If they were surprised at Cosima's appearance, they did not show it, but showed her warm hospitality as they greeted her.

Delphine smiled at the scene, her hands clasped tightly in front of her skirt.

"Merci, Monsieur et Mademoiselle Cormier, je suis sur je vais." Cosima smiled politely.

_"Thankyou, Mr and Mrs Cormier, I am sure I will."_

A younger girl stood next to Delphine, she was around 13 years old. Delphine pushed her lightly.

"Go on." She whispered.

"So...il faut etre Juliette..?" Cosima smiled, following through with the etiquette she had now come to be used to. "J'ai entendu beaucoup sur vous!"

"_So, you must be Juliette..?" "I have heard a lot about you!"_

Juliette smiled shyly. Cosima seemed cool. Already.

"Okay!" Mme. Cormier said brightly. "On y va! Chez nous, Cosima. Tu es fatigue, non?"

"_Here we go! To our home, Cosima. You are tired, right?"_

"Oui, je suis fatigue, Mme. Mais la passionance est plus!"

"_Yes, I am tired, Mme. But I am more excited!"_

Delphine was surprised at how much Cosima was trying. She was doing well.

The three teenagers climbed into the back of the van, Delphine heaving Cosima's bag in behind her.

"Ok, let's go!" Delphine concluded as she slid the door shut.

**AN: wow, can't believe I have had followers and favourites so soon! Thanks so much guys, it means a lot and encourages me to write more! Please leave reviews, feedback is appreciated! I actually have a lot of this fic already written, (even though it is still in progress) so I will try to upload speedily!**


	4. Chapter 4

**AN: Hey guys! Thanks for all the follows and favourites, it really brightens up my day! Please leave reviews, I want to know what you want, whether you like the French or not (though it does make it educational, je pense.) You're learning on the job of fic reading, can't be bad, right? Is it confusing? Idk. Thanks guys, enjoy.**

"You eat this late every day?" Cosima asked over her shoulder as she climbed the stairs.

"Yes, of course. That is the French way that we do things." Delphine smiled.

Cosima led the way to Delphine's room. She had already dumped her luggage there earlier, before heading down for dinner.

The room was quite large, two single beds pushed to opposite sides of the narrowest part of the room, two bedside tables nestled next to each. A large persian rug covered half of the cream carpeted floor, across from which there was a large wardrobe and chest of drawers.

"We can unpack your things tomorrow. But I suppose you are tired now?" She suggested.

"Yeah, sure. That's cool. We have to be up for school tomorrow, right?"

"Malhereusement, yes." She said, wrinkling her nose up apologetically.

_"Unfortunately, yes."_

"Nah, it's fine. It might be interesting." Cosima joked, widening her eyes.

Delphine laughed.

"Yes. Maybe. I hope so."She said doubtfully.

Cosima went to the bathroom and returned in her baggy grey pyjamas, her thick eyeliner cleared, her glasses on her head.

Delphine was sat tucked into her bed, her large eyes drooping as she adjusted her duvet comfortably.

Cosima climbed into her bed, the cold sheets feeling unfamiliar beneath her bare feet. She slid down to let her head hit the pillow before switching off her light. Delphine did the same.

"Bonne nuit, Cosima."

"Bonne nuit, Delphine."

The alarm buzzed invasively. Cosima groaned and shuffled about in her new bed, kicking about at the sheets subconsciously, the sunshine too bright, even through her eyelids.

"Cosima..." A soft voice said. "Cosima...réveille-toi..."

_ "Cosima...wake up..."_

"Wha-" Cosima moaned, blinking her eyes.

She saw a blonde-ish shape hovering over her, the lines too blurry to make out. Where was she again?

"Cosima...sorry, but we have to go to school today. I wish we didn't, but I suppose that's the way it is, quoi?" She began.

Cosima fumbled around blindly on the bedside cabinet for her glasses, her hand clumsily grasping them. She squinted as she slid them down her nose.

"Oh, hey Delphine." She mumbled, raising herself to her elbows.

"Hey, Cos-ee-ma." She smirked.

"Wha-" She swallowed. "What time is it? ... Geez it feels like my head is made of feathers."

Delphine laughed. How strange people were when disturbed from sleep.

"It's 6am." She stated. "Is that normal school time for you also?"

"6. A. M?!" She exclaimed wearily, collapsing back down to lie on her back.

"I'm guessing no, then." She grinned.

Cosima pulled the duvet over her head stubbornly.

"Commmme on, Cosima. It will be fun, you'll see." She bribed, pulling Cosima's hand which lay flopped over the edge of the bed.

She allowed herself to be heaved up, and sat up straight, staring at Delphine with a sullen look on her face.

"Hey, contain yourself, please." She quipped, narrowing her eyes jokingly.

"How the hell do you do this everyday, Delphine?" Cosima mumbled.

"I don't know, I am used to it I suppose." She said. "Oh yes, by the way, in France we have breakfast together as a family, so we should go downstairs soon. But maybe we should get dressed first."

Cosima nodded as she spoke, dreading to think what she must look like. The journey the previous day had left her exhausted. She smiled as she noticed that Delphine's curly hair was even more tousled, sticking up at random angles.

She stood up and tied her dreadlocks up into a thick ponytail, pulling a red wooly cardigan up and over her shoulders. Her baggy grey t-shirt and harem pants contrasted with Delphine's puppy flannel pyjamas, which made her laugh.

"We're pretty different, huh?." She mused.

"I guess so, but also we are not so different." Delphine smiled out of bright hazel eyes as she observed Cosima. "We are both science geeks, right? Just you have dreadlocks and my hair goes 'poof' when I wake up."

"Did you say poof?" Cosima smirked.

"Yes." Delphine stated, furrowing her brow.

"Just checking. Okay, I'm just gonna-go..." She said, sidling out the door to the bathroom, makeup bag in hand.

"Oh, Cosima?"

"Yeah?" She backtracked, peering around the door.

"A le lycée we are not allowed to wear makeup. It is bad, I know, but I am scared you would get shouted at." She said, biting her bottom lip absent-mindedly.

"Nahhh, it's fine Delphine." Cosima assured coolly. "It's my trademark, they would never let me go without it."

Delphine laughed.

"Okay, if you insist. I suppose it is up to you. They may be nice to la petite americaine." She teased.

Cosima narrowed her eyes and laughed before flaunting off.

Delphine smiled, before walking across the rug to her wardrobe.


	5. Chapter 5

**AN: Hello again guys, thanks for all the favs and follows, ils sont much appreeshed! Though please do leave reviews too, they help me out a lot, and I like to interact with you guys, it makes it all a bit more meaningful to me! Thanks again, cloneclub! Hope you like this chapter, it's probably my favourite!**

Delphine locked the door behind them with a thick brass key. Cosima looked up at the tall, white town house in admiration. It was very different to her cluttered apartment back in San Fran.

They walked down the steps and onto the path, where trees lined the roadside; decorating the stone slabs with leaves of red and orange.

Delphine wore her worn leather satchel on her back, her wavy hair bouncing around her cheeks as she strode the path she walked everyday. Except this time, she wasn't alone. Juliette usually set off earlier with one or two of her friends. Delphine used to wait for Danielle.

Mme. Cormier watched her daughter out of her bedroom window on the third floor. She was just a small figure as she left down the street, wearing her warmly coloured jumper, a short skirt with thick tights and knee length boots. She was happy to see Delphine laughing with a friend again. It had been a long time.

Cosima was aware that she must have stuck out like a sore thumb to anyone who knew Delphine at all. She knew they would all be wondering who the dreadlocked hippy was, walking alongside Delphine with her perfect hair and innocent smile. They were so different, yet 'not so different' as Delphine had said. But as Cosima scrutinised her own second hand, recycled outfit and stared down at her scruffy brown boots, she felt strangely out of place.

"What is wrong, Cosima?" Delphine asked kindly.

She was a few inches taller than Cosima, and held herself in a way that spoke confidence, however naievely so. There was no hint of pretentiousness at all, even though she was evidently very pretty.

'She doesn't realise how beautiful she is,' Cosima thought.

Cosima had always been self conscious, the way she slumped her shoulders was probably brought on by always trying to blend into the background. Which was hard. Especially in high school. She wondered if 'le lycee' was different, whether Delphine got bullied for being good at science too.

But, by senior year, Cosima had decided she would stop caring about what other people thought and said to her. She didn't care that her glasses made her look like a geek, or that she wasn't the coolest person in high school, or that she enjoyed playing Dungeons and Dragons. But it was still hard. The dreadlocks brought more bullying, and the eyeliner people said was Cosima trying to finally 'fit in'.

She snapped out of her thoughts and answered Delphine's question.

"Oh, nothing. Just wondering if I will stand out a lot at your school." Cosima admitted.

Delphine looked at Cosima solemnly.

"Don't worry, Cosima. You..won't stand out. You will be fine. I won't leave you on your own. You're my buddy, okay?" She smiled.

Cosima couldn't help herself smiling back. She laughed her infectious laugh.

"Agh, you're so cute, Delphine." She said off-handedly.

Delphine furrowed her brow as she translated. Her delayed reaction made Cosima laugh. Her face broke into an embarassed smile.

"You're so cheeky, Cosima." She said, blushing a little. "Anyway, I mean it. We will have fun. And after school we can go and enjoy ourselves properly, okay?"

"Mh-hm." Cosima agreed, her dreadlocks dancing comedically as she nodded her head.

They reached the iron gates of le lycee, people already eyeing Cosima curiously. She wrapped her red duffle coat further around herself subconsciously, and crossed her arms over her middle.

"Come on, Cosima. Let's go inside. It is too cold out here." Delphine said, her breath making small clouds in the cold air.

Cosima nodded nonchalantly, following Delphine towards the doors.

"Oh, gosh, can I show you something?" Delphine remembered, excitement lighting up her eyes.

"Y-yeah, sure." She replied, shrugging her shoulders, a smile washing over her face.

"Okay, follow me. I will show you my favourite place." She said, glancing behind at Cosima excitably, watching her every reaction. "Allez."

The college was still quiet. They were early. Cosima was used to always being late. And always being sorry. Which probably wasn't a good way to be, she realised.

She followed Delphine up 3 flights of back stairs, their footsteps echoing around the musty stairway.

Cosima laughed.

"Holy watershed, Delphine, where are you taking me? I don't know... how many more... of these things I can take-" She joked, crawling along the hand rail to pull herself up.

"You do make me laugh, Cosima." Delphine smirked, watching her friend's antics. "Just you wait, you will like it, I know."

They climbed one more flight of stairs; Cosima noticed that the air smelt of dust and old chemicals, like a school lab would. As they neared the top, the air became clearer, and colder.

"Here we are." Delphine said, holding out her arm theatrically.

Cosima smiled as she reached the top.

"You have a roof garden?" She exclaimed. "That's awesome, Delphine."

A large greenhouse sat in the centre of the roof, tropical plants pressed up against the glass, condensation dripping down the panes. Large, leafy plants were spread all around on the wooden decking, creating a small kind of jungle.

"Yes, it is nice here. Nobody else is allowed to come up unless..." She trailed off, embarassed.

Cosima guessed.

"Come on, Delphine. You can tell me. The only other person who could possibly be even geekier than you is me." She pointed out, raising an eyebrow.

Her grimace broke into a smile.

"Ohhkay. You are only permitted up here if you are part of the Biology club." She admitted.

"Really?" Cosima said, unimpressed. "That's your most embarassing geek thing?"

Delphine looked relieved, and shrugged her shoulders.

"Yes, why? You do this too?"

"Uh, yeah. Biology club, Chemistry club, I'm even in the hella Dungeons and Dragons team, Delphine. You can't out-geek me. No sweat." She said, walking out further to the edge of the roof. "Back home we don't get roof gardens for being nerds. We get slatttted." She nodded.

"Oh." Delphine said, her face fallen.

"Oh- sorry. I didn't mean to be a total killjoy. It's great up here, it's really special." She said, looking out onto the playing field.

"Cosima?"

"Yeah?" She said, staring out into the suburbs.

Delphine came up behind her, placed her cold hands over Cosima's glasses, and steered her in the opposite direction.

Cosima let herself be walked over to the other side of the roof.

"Regardes." Delphine said, removing her hands.

Suddenly she saw the large sprawling mass of Paris, the Eiffel tower looming tall and proud over the city. Cosima wondered how she had missed this before.

"Geez." She whispered.

Delphine smiled.

"Do you like it?"

"Uh, yeah? Obvs." She said, astounded.

"Good." She whispered, pleased.

"Because now we have class. Allons-y, Cosima." She said abruptly.

"Eughhh Delphine!" She said accusingly, tearing her eyes from the view. "Fine. I'm not too good at math but I'll try not to show you up."

"No, no Cosima. You could not show me up. Don't worry."

She grabbed Cosima's sleeve as they ran down the back stairs once again, this time stopping at the second floor. Cosima laughed as they scaled the stairs, panting for breath when they stopped.


	6. Chapter 6

She grabbed Cosima's sleeve as they ran down the back stairs once again, this time stopping at the second floor. Cosima laughed as they scaled the stairs, panting for breath when they stopped.

Delphine led Cosima into a rectangular classroom, and gestured for her to sit on the desk beside the window. They were the first people there, something which Cosima was still not used to.

"You better help me, Delphine." Cosima said.

"You're not nervous now, are you?" She teased.

"What- no! I'm just really, really bad at math."

She felt the blush creeping onto her cheeks as more people walked into the room, eyeing her as they took their usual seats.

"I'm not in anyone's seat, am I?" She whispered quickly.

"No-no, it's okay. It used to be the seat of my friend Danielle, before she... well she's not here anymore, so it's free." She sighed. "Don't worry, Cosima. Anyway, what happened to you being 'cool' and 'calm'?"

Cosima thought she'd better not press on why Danielle wasn't 'here anymore' by the look of sadness which suddenly washed over Delphine's face.

"Hey! I am cool. And calm." She laughed quietly.

Delphine brought her brown leather satchel up to the desk and began pulling out books and folders. Cosima recognised the handwriting as that which she had been conversing with for months.

A tall, thin-lipped woman strode into the classroom; the sound of chairs scraping across the floor simultaneously ground on Cosima's ears. The entire group rose to their feet obediently.

Delphine tugged at Cosima's sleeve, who stood up, bewildered.

"Bonjour la classe." She said coldly.

"Bonjour madame."The class drawled, the sound resonating without feeling throughout the classroom.

"Asseyez-vous."

"Sit down, Cosima." Delphine whispered.

Cosima realised that really, she was nervous. Especially as the old teacher stared at her through vigilent eyes, her collarbone jutting out beneath her thin woolen jumper.

"Ahh. Il faut etre l'americaine, la classe."She began patronisingly.

_"Ahh. This must be the American, class."_

Cosima's heart began to pound in her chest.

'Stupid adrenaline.' She thought. 'When will we learn that we can't fight or run from teachers?'

Worryingly, she realised that she was thinking like a neolutionist. She shook the thought from her head.

"Where are our manners? Welcome Cosima, tout le monde."

"Bonjour, Cosima." The whole class sang in dutiful union.

Cosima could hear Delphine's reluctant voice beside her. She seemed to know what was coming.

"Mademoiselle Niehaus, non?"

"Oui, madame."

"Cormier didn't tell you that make up is not allowed at our school?" She interrogated, a strange flicker of joy in her beady eyes.

"Oui, she told me, madame. It was my choice." Cosima stated, blinking bravely behind her glasses.

"I should not allow this-"

"But, madame-" Delphine interjected. She had never countered a teacher before. Her chin trembled as she realised what she had done.

The teacher stared at her disbelievingly.

"Oui, Cormier." She smirked. "...Quoi?"

"Only that it wasn't Cosima's fault. It was mine, I should have-"

Cosima felt a rush of pride. A strange pang flooded her stomach.

"I will let it pass for today, Cormier." She interrupted. "But tomorrow, no makeup or OUT, oui?"

"Oui madame." Delphine said submissively, letting her hair hang over her reddened cheeks, beginning to write the date quickly in her exercise book.

Cosima stared straight ahead, bewildered. Had Delphine ever spoken out against a teacher before? She strongly doubted it.

Learning math in French was even worse, and Cosima was frustrated. She stabbed a pencil into the checked paper and watched the lead splinter apart.

"Cosima? You don't understand it?" Delphine asked kindly.

"Um, no not really, but I don't mind. I can doodle." She said, starting a sketch of a DNA helix down the side of the page.

Delphine laughed.

"Only you would doodle such things, Cosima." She whispered.

"Yeah," She sighed. "I know, right."

"Cheer up, we only have 10 minutes left of this lesson. Chemistry will be more fun, quoi?"

"Yeah, I guess so."

Delphine slumped her shoulders. Cosima looked at her, the optimism in her eyes fading.

"Actually, you know what? I can't wait for Chemistry. We should make like crazy science, it'll be fun." Cosima chirped, dropping her pencil.

Delphine's face lit up.

"Now that is more like it, mon ami. Though I do feel bad about making you come here." She admitted.

"Hey, it's not your fault. I have to go to school too. But then again I usually enjoy it..."

"Yes, me too. We are such geeks, non?"

They laughed in agreement, before being silenced by a death glare from Mme. Boucher.

She stared at them without blinking while she spoke, as if she were only speaking to the two of them.

"Okay, la classe. We are finished there for today. I want pages 113-116 for les devoirs next lesson, and I expect everybody-" She glared at Cosima. "To have done it. Okay? On y va."

Delphine packed her books away into her bag with expert speed, and ushered Cosima out of the door first.

"Jeez..." Cosima breathed. "How do you deal with that every day? And I thought math was bad enough already!"

"Yes. She can be...um..."

"A bitch?" Cosima finished.

Delphine laughed, and smacked her lightly on the arm. Cosima was sure this was something she had picked up from her.

"Cosima!"She said, biting her lip.

"Wh-hat?" She sniggered. "She is, right?"

Delphine laughed, rolling her eyes.

"Right?"

She shook her head.

"Okay, maybe a little..." She said, holding her finger and thumb an inch apart.

Cosima snorted, and they broke into laughter, attracting attention in the otherwise orderly corridors. Delphine bit her bottom lip, blushing as she noticed the glances she was getting.

"Quoi?!" Cosima asked jokingly - holding out her arms, to one boy who was looking at them disdainfully.

"Rien." He said quickly, averting his eyes.

"Oh my gosh, Cosima!" Delphine giggled, holding a hand to her mouth. "You can't just do that."

"Sure I can! Why are people staring at us anyway? We're only having fun. The corridors in my school are never this quiet, seriously."

"Yes, well I think my school is quite strict at times." She sighed.

"Yeah, it's probably better that way I guess."

"Oh well, anyway we are here." Delphine stopped outside a lab classroom. "This teacher is not usually so bad... Let's hope they like you this time."

"What's not to like?" Cosima said, batting her eyelashes.

Delphine rolled her eyes, grinning at her.

"You are such a brat," She laughed.

Cosima followed Delphine into the lab, and took a seat.

'Here goes lesson number 2.' She thought.

**AN: Thank you so much for fav/following, it does motivate me to write more! PLERSE though, I am a little bit desperate for reviews, they're always appreciated, and they do help me out a lot to know what you enjoyed/agreed with cause really I'm just writing this on my own judgement. Oh yeh and by the way, I have sooo many plans for this fic and I literally write for like an hour every day, so make sure you're watching this space(!) cause we're not even half way through. You do want a long fic though, right? Cause I think it will be quitee a lot of chapters. And also I have college work that I neglect for this...yeah I get my priorities right! Thank you sooo much clone club! :D ****Thanks to lucky, my beta, as always...LOL**


	7. Chapter 7

The school day finished, and everybody piled out through the main doors, the sky a light shade of orange. After discussing their lessons and teachers all the way home, they finally reached Delphine's street. Cosima still wasn't sure which house was Delphine's, as there were rows of identically handsome white houses, each street lined with the same orange-golden trees.

"Ici," She said, pointing a finger to her house.

Cosima paused to let Delphine in front of her, and she lifted the latch on the black metal gate and held it open. They walked down the immaculate path which ran straight to the stone steps, surrounded by gravel and small artistically arranged plants.

Delphine unlocked the door and opened it with a forceful shove.

She laughed - "Oh, sorry, it is a little stiff. Force of habit."

Cosima laughed, and hung her red coat on the pegs next to the door.

"Maman et Papa don't get home until later, so it is just me, you, and - Juliette?!" She shouted.

"Oui?" A voice shouted down the stairs.

"Yes, me, you, and Juliette." She laughed.

The furry ginger cat emerged from the kitchen, and slunk over to the two. It rubbed itself around Delphine's ankles, looking up at her expectantly.

"Oh, and Moot, of course. Desole, ma cherie. I could not forget about you."

"Hey, little guy," Cosima said, stooping down to stroke the cat's head. He eyed her suspiciously. "Yeah, I know I'm more of a dog person, but we can still be friends, right?" She tried.

"Cosima?" Delphine said, looking down at her friend crouching on the floor.

"Mm-hm?" She replied, her eyes fixated on the cat's.

"He is a French cat. He does not understand you."

"Oh yeahhh-wait" Cosima began, before raising her eyeline to Delphine's. "Yeah, yeah. You nearly got me."

Delphine laughed.

"You are so easy," She teased.

Cosima got to her feet.

"Whatever. Just you wait till we get to San Fran, we'll see who's naive then." She smirked.

"Until then." Delphine challenged, both narrowing their eyes jokingly.

Moot miaowed beneath them, rubbing his head on Delphine's leg manipulatively.

"Ohhkay, mon chou." Delphine said, scooping up the cat and holding his face next to her own, pursing her lips as she mumbled to him.

Cosima was sure there was a smugness about his face that was directed at her.

"Okay, Cosima. Let's go upstairs, we can do that math homework together." Delphine began to climb the stairs, Cosima trailing behind her.

Moot glared at Cosima over Delphine's shoulder, as his head bounced with her step. Cosima smirked. Cats were known for jealousy, weren'they?

Delphine pushed open the door with one hand and put the cat down on the carpet. He padded casually over to her bed, and leapt up onto the duvet. She chose a tape from the pile, and slotted it into the player, pressing the play button. She pulled her satchel over to the persian rug and sat down cross legged.

"Allez, Cosima. We can sit here, you can have the -" She scrunched up her eyes, pointing. "The-uhh, um oh gosh what is it called?"

She was pointing to a maroon beanbag which sat slumped on the floor.

"The...uh, the puffy? I'm sure I heard it called that before." She frowned.

"Yeah, I know what you mean,"Cosima laughed. "Thanks."

She sat back into the beanbag, and stretched out her arms and legs, rotating the ankles of her woolly-socked feet.

"Ahh," She sighed, straining to listen to the music.

_'Tell me how you do that trick, the one that makes me scream, she said..."_

"The Cure?" She said, though it was less of a question and more of an observation of Delphine's tastes.

"Mm-hmm." She replied. "It's a- um, a mixtape. They are just random songs that I like. Do you like this too?"

Cosima wrinkled her nose.

"Y-y-yeahh, it's good. But I'm into more electronica-dancey type stuff."

Delphine cocked her head.

"Come on, Cosima. That's not real music."

Cosima widened her eyes in faux offense.

"Oh, but it is! I will educate you in the world of Cosima when we get to San Fran. You will end up loving my not real music, trust me." She smirked, gesticulating wildly with her arms.

_'Kissed her face and kissed her head, dreamed of all the different ways, I had to make her glow. "Why are you so far away?", she said "Why won't you ever know that I'm in love with you?'_

"Ohhkay, Cosima...But how can you not love this song? It's si belle." She sighed dreamily. "I always thought, this is what being in love is, in the form of a song..."

"Mehh," Cosima teased, bursting her bubble.

"Cosima!" She exclaimed, throwing a pillow at her head.

"Hey!" She shouted, before breaking down into laughter, and throwing it back.

Moot looked up, startled, and scanned the room before dozing back off to sleep. Delphine laughed as she pulled out her math book and pencil case.

Cosima noticed how Delphine's smile spanned the entire width of her face, making it impossible to not feel happy when she saw it. Delphine looked up, not moving her head, her wide eyes reminding Cosima of a guilty puppy.

"Okay," She giggled. "I am going to do mes devoirs. And so should you if you don't want to get into trouble."

Cosima rolled her eyes.

"Yeah, yeah. Okay." She convinced, producing her work from her bag.

Delphine looked satisfied, and moved over to lie on her front, her chin resting on her hands, her elbows digging ito the carpet. She swung her legs up behind her and twisted her bare feet in concentration.

"Multipliez seize, et soixante-cinq... ooh, c'est..." She mumbled to herself, sketching the answer neatly into her book. Cosima watched her work. If only she could be so studious with math.

She folded a checked page with the utmost precision, making it into the perfect shape. She folded the wings of the plane down the sides, and, taking a pencil, scribbled words onto the inside. She threw it at Delphine gently, hitting her square on the forehead. She flinched, and looked up from her work, a little dazed. Cosima looked around, whistling conspicuously; Delphine scowled at her, laughing, as she opened the paper.

In Cosima's scrawled print was written:

"Breaking news just in - math is not good for your health. You must live on a strict diet of science from now on, or the Boucher bitch will come and find you in your sleep."

Delphine squinted as she read, her face relaxing into a grin as she finished.

"You are indeed very cheeky, my friend." She giggled. "And it won't take me long, I will finish it soon. Then you can copy."

"Merci, tu es un tres bon ami, Delphine." Cosima said, bowing her head mockingly.

"Tu bois du vin, Cosima?" Delphine asked, the neck of the bottle hovering over her glass.

"Err, eh oui, merci." She smiled, a bit embarassed.

The truth was, she had never drank wine in her life, and wondered how Delphine was so unaffected by it. She drank it casually, as did her sister. It was almost unheard of back in the US - kids didn't drink alcohol with meals, but Juliette was just 13, and was filling up her glass for the second time.

It was about 9 o'clock now, and it was pitch black outside. Cosima wasn't used to the cold darkness, and dreamed of the Californian sunshine back home.

The family atmosphere around the table was so strange to her; normally at home she would eat alone, when her mom was working nights, or she would order a pizza with Scott, collapse on the couch and watch TV. But this was different. She watched Delphine's permanent smile as she ate, the warm glow of the candles on the table making her hair and skin look even more golden than before. Civilised chat about Juliette's school day, and M. Cormier's work bounced back and forth, though if Cosima didn't concentrate fully, the french words just skimmed right past her conscious.

"...-...- Cosima?"

Her gaze snapped upwards.

"Hm? Oh sorry, what? - Pardon?"

Delphine smiled fondly. She knew how hard it must be for her.

"Sorry, no, we should speak English, really. We were just wondering what you thought of Delphine's school. Is it a lot different?" Mme. Cormier asked.

Cosima swallowed her food, nodding as she spoke.

"Oh-um, yeah. It was very different, j'ai pensé. Plus stricte, et un ambiance plus calme. Mon lycee est un peu fou, pour etre honnete, donc c'était tres different, oui."

_"Oh, um, yeah. It was very different, I thought. Stricter, and a calmer atmosphere. My high school is a bit mad, to be honest, so it was very different, yes."_

They all laughed politely, Delphine looking over the table to Cosima with pride. She smiled encouragingly.

Cosima sipped her wine nervously. She knew she was a lightweight.

After they finished eating, Cosima checked the time. 10.30 pm. The jet lag was still dragging on her body clock and she felt her eyes drooping.

"Merci, M. et Mme Cormier. C'était delicieux. Bonne nuit." She said, as they all stood up to leave.

"Oui, pas probleme. Bonne nuit a toi." M. Cormier said.

Delphine, Cosima and Juliette went upstairs, Delphine's parents staying at the candelit table. It was all so much more romantic, Cosima thought, than the modernised way of California. It seemed like a different world.

**AN: Haha my ANs are so darn long, sorry! Whew MERCI a tout le monde for the reviews! Thankyou (!) lucky, goolamgleek, cophinel0ver and jackso88. It's so great to know that you are enjoying it, at least now I know I am on the right tracks! Anyway, keep 'em coming, I love to know when you guys enjoy it, it does make me happy :D**


	8. Chapter 8

**AN: Sorry, a bit of language in this one, so if that offends you then AVERT YOUR EYES lol**

"Cosima!" Delphine realised. "You are still wearing eyeliner. What will we do?"

"Oh! Shit." Cosima whispered.

They were approaching the math classroom, Mme. Bouchard stood with her back to the blackboard.

They watched as more students filed into the room, the door swinging open and closed.

"Okay," Delphine said quietly. "We will go to the toilets, you can take off your maquillage and we will say you were ill, so that is why we are late, okay?"

Cosima looked at her, raised an eyebrow and smiled mischievously.

"Follow my lead."

Delphine furrowed her brow, confused. But she knew that look in Cosima's eye, and was worried what she was about to do.

Cosima sidled past the door inconspicuously, and bobbed down so her head was not visible through the window.

"Cosima!" Delphine whispered urgently.

"Come on!"

Delphine did the same, stealing a glance behind her through the window. Mme. Bouchard's eyes flickered. Had she seen her?

She passed the window, and Cosima was waiting for her.

"Come on!" She grinned, holding out a hand.

Delphine grabbed it tightly, the adrenaline rushing through her veins, the pang of guilt heavy in her stomach. But the beaming smile on Cosima's face made her feel better. They were supposed to be having fun, after all.

"You run so fast!" Delphine breathed, her cheeks aching from smiling, Cosima dragging her along by the hand.

They sprinted down the corridor, the old lights flickering overhead, their uncontrollable laughter making their sides hurt. The sound of their clumsy footsteps slapping against the floor echoed around the walls.

"Cormier?" A cold voice called.

Delphine's heart stopped. She looked at Cosima wildly.

Cosima panicked. She never thought they would get caught. The last thing she wanted was for Delphine to get in trouble because of her. She quickly pulled Delphine to a side corridor, slotting themselves between the wall and the lockers.

"Cormier, is that you?"

Delphine screwed up her eyes as she heard the sharp footsteps coming closer. She squeezed Cosima's hand tighter, and stifled her panting.

"Shhh," Cosima soothed.

She strained her hearing to make out where the teacher was, and pressed herself further up against the wall.

The footsteps ventured closer, each icy click against the floor making Delphine's heart race.

Mme. Boucher came into their view, her bony shoulders jutting out beneath her jacket, the tendrils in her neck visibly strained.

Delphine gasped, her brown eyes wide. She froze.

Cosima too had gone tense, the guilt weighing down on her immensely. Neither breathed as they glued their eyes to her ominous form, thin and black, reminding Cosima of a scrawny hyena on the hunt.

Eventually, she turned around, giving up the trail. They both saw the cold disappointment in her eyes as she turned on her heel and headed back to the classroom.

Delphine sighed, closing her eyes, slumping herself against the locker.

Cosima did the same, holding a hand to her temple.

"Geez," She whispered.

Their eyes met, Delphine biting her lip nervously, the terrified look still etched on her face.

Cosima broke into laughter, sniggering quietly as they stood there, sandwiched between the wall. Delphine shook her head, still stunned.

"Oh my goodness, Cosima!" She whispered, her mouth dry as sand.

Delphine's furrowed brow uncreased as a huge smile creeped across her face. Before long, they were both laughing out of pure relief.

"You are so bad, Cosima! But it is so fun, non?" She laughed guiltily. "Anyway, what do we do now?" she squeezing back out. "We have to get out now, right?"

Cosima freed herself too, her heartbeat still fast.

"Yup. See, you've done this before." She joked.

They sidled out into the corridor, running as subtly as they could, slowing to a power walk as they passed classrooms.

They finally reached the exit, and stood in the cold sanctuary of the yard outside.

"Did we lose her?" She breathed.

Cosima took one last check over her shoulder.

"Umm, yeah!"

They stood looking at each other for a few moments, thinking unsaid things of the experience they had just had together. Once again, Delphine recognised the mischevious sparkle swim into Cosima's eyes.

"Okay, so - lets go steal some bikes!" She said spontaneously.

"No, no, too much crime for me." Delphine refused, linking her friend's arm, and walking towards the gates.

"Ah, come on..." She schmoozed.

"I couldn't Cosima!" She said, feigning offense. "But I know what we can do..."

She perused whether it was a good idea, while Cosima's eyes lit up with excitement. She couldn't deny her this, especially when she had just saved her from math.

"Hmm, okay fine. I have a surprise for you." She said, a smile spreading over her face. "Allez."

Cosima walked alongside Delphine, wondering where she could be taking her.

Delphine skirted the outside of le lycee, avoiding all the windows, until they came to a parking lot. The cars of multiple teachers, students and visitors sat wedged into the spaces, frost gleaming white over the windows.

Delphine walked over to a red bike, a vespa, which stood out glamorously, a cut above the rest. She picked up a helmet from the back.

Cosima stared at her.

"You've got to be kidding." She said, her mouth gaping open.

"No." Delphine shrugged her shoulders, her hair bouncing around her cheeks.

**AN: Thanks for reading again, and GET READY for the next chapter. It is probs/def my favourite! I hope you guys will love it :D PLEASE, do a leedle review pour moi, that would be really appreciated. Thanks so much! Until next time!**


	9. Chapter 9

"Delphine...this is sweet! Is it yours?" She exclaimed.

"Y-yes, a friend gave it to me." She said vaguely. "I rode it to school yesterday, so had to leave it overnight when my father came to collect me, to go and collect you!" She breathed.

"Okay," She said, getting onto the bike gracefully, and kicking away the stand. "You can sit behind, but make sure you hold onto me. It might be fast."

Cosima climbed onto the back of the bike, and held Delphine's waist gingerly. Delphine revved the handles and they were off, out of the carpark, and into the suburbs. They stopped at a small junction, Delphine watching vigilantly for a gap in the traffic.

Suddenly, the bike lurched forward, and Cosima was thrown into Delphine's back, hugging her arms around her for dear life.

"Are you okay?" Delphine shouted over the revving of the engine.

"Y-yep!" Cosima shouted back, her cheek pressed against the soft wave of Delphine's hair.

She felt warm in the cold autumn air, and thought she'd better keep a good grip just in case Delphine nearly threw her off again.

They sped down the wide streets; unsuspecting leaves lying on the road whisked up in a frenzy as the bike passed. Delphine laughed as she felt Cosima's arms tighten around her middle.

"Am I going too fast for you, petite americaine?" She teased.

"No, no. We're fine." Cosima said, tense.

"Okay, if you're sure." Delphine said mischeviously, twisting the handles further forward.

The bike roared into life, and they raced along the street, cutting in between cars and zipping past traffic.

"Delphine!" Cosima shrieked, though she couldn't stop a smile creeping onto her face.

"Okay, okay. We'll slow down." She shouted. "Aww pauvre Cosima. You are not French enough, ma cherie. I need to educate you in the art of bike riding. It is a specific way, especially in Paris."

"Yeah! Okay! But just keep your eyes on the road, okay?" She said, her chin on Delphine's shoulder.

The fragrance of Delphine's hair flooded Cosima's senses, blocking out the choking fumes of city traffic. Delphine's warm woolly jumper-ed form warmed Cosima through as she kept her firm hold around her middle. As Delphine swerved the bike around a corner, Cosima shut her eyes.

"Ohmygods." She whispered.

"Okay, it will be easier now. We can cut all this traffic."

They were reaching inner-city Paris. The bike slowed down, and they drove in a straight line past the impatient cars waiting in line. The sky was darkening to a deep orange, and as Cosima reaxed, she realised she was enjoying herself.

"Cosima. Regarde." Delphine said simply, nodding towards their right.

The Eiffel tower loomed high above them, people still climbing in constant streams to get to the top. Cosima gawped, her mind taken off Delphine's treacherous driving.

They reached the end of the traffic jam, and Delphine took a right turn. They passed the Eiffel tower, following the road until they reached a small backstreet, pres de la Seine.

She slowed the bike to a halt, and Cosima quickly retracted her tenacious grip. Delphine dismounted, and looked at Cosima triumphantly.

"What did you think? Did you enjoy it?" She beamed, her brown eyes expectant.

Cosima smirked.

"Yup! Sure I did. Gods Delphine, you're a killer driver. I wouldn't have expected that..."

"Yes, I'm full of surprises," Delphine joked, widening her eyes.

Cosima laughed, and got off the bike on shaky legs.

"Okay, so I thought we could go and get a hot drink. It is going to get cold, and I want you to see something later on."

Cosima raised her eyebrows, interested, and they linked arms as Delphine led the way to one of the warmly lit coffee shops, just a little distance away from where they had parked.

"Can I order for you?" Delphine asked as they approached the counter.

"Y-yeah, of course. Merci!"

Cosima glanced around, as Delphine ordered something in French.

"Ah, ouais." The barrista answered, smiling. "Ce sera quatre euro, s'il vous plait."

Delphine handed him the money, and he turned to make the drinks. The cafe was warm, and the strong smell of coffee filled their nostrils. Most people sat chatting animatedly over cups of steaming coffee, some sat alone with newspapers and laptops, others waited anxiously for their companions.

Delphine handed Cosima a carboard cup, and took one herself.

"Merci." She told the barrista before opening the door back into the cold evening.

They warmed their hands around the cups, before taking tentative sips.

Cosima drank vivaciously, pausing before her mouth dropped open.

"Oh. My. Lord. Delphine. What is this stuff?" She gasped.

"You like it?" She asked, unsure.

"Yes. Yes. Ohmygosh it's amazing."

Delphine laughed.

"I know, it is si delicieux." She sighed.

They walked over to the bike, where Delphine made sure it was secure before hopping down the concrete bank to the river walk. She offered her hand to Cosima, who followed, and they found a wooden bench beside a bridge; the river smelt fresh and cold.

They sat for a few moments in silence as the darkness unfolded around them. Cosima drew in a deep breath through her nose, the warm aroma of cinnamon warming her insides.

"There is something I would like to tell you, Cosima."

She turned her head to face Delphine, who met her eyeline reluctantly.

"Yeah, sure what is it?" She said, she had a strange feeling that it might be a sensitive subject.

Delphine inhaled, closing her eyes. She averted her eyes from Cosima, and once again stared straight ahead.

"Okay." She sighed. "So, I had a best friend. Danielle Fournier. We had been friends since elementary school." She swallowed, hard.

"It's okay," Cosima whispered, encouraging her friend.

Delphine glanced at Cosima fleetingly, nodding slightly.

"Two years ago, she got sick. A genetic autoimmune disease. It affected her lungs. The doctors could not do anything for her, the genetics were too complicated."

Delphine wrung her hands in her lap as she spoke. She paused.

"Then she died. Last year." She looked up from her hands, judging Cosima's expression, who was now sat, pain evident on her face, her dark eyebrows creased.

"I never got over it, and I have not had a new friend since." She admitted. "This is why you are so important to me, Cosima. Your letters, they were a source of hope for me, you are my only friend now. "

When she had finished, her eyes gleamed over with a sheen of tears. She blinked them back, and rubbed her eyes with the back of her right hand.

"I-I'm so sorry, Delphine." Cosima stuttered, trailing her fingers lightly over Delphine's bare wrist.

Delphine nodded, sniffing slightly.

"I am sorry. You did not need to know this-"

"Hey, hey." She whispered. "I don't mind. You've been through a lot. More than you should have. I'm glad I could be here for you."

Delphine laughed through watery eyes.

"Yes. Even though you were in San Francisco, you were closer to me than any other friend I had."She admitted.

"Right. No more crying. I am sorry, I am not usually like this. Danielle would be happy that we are going to have fun in her name, okay?"

Cosima smiled sadly and nodded, not knowing what to say. Delphine put her head on Cosima's shoulder, exhausted by her emotion.

She froze slightly, but relaxed her shoulders as she thought about the situation. Delphine had been through so much, and Cosima had had no idea that her letters had meant so much.

Delphine's breathing slowed down as she rested her head, Cosima stroking her wavy hair gently. She smiled sadly at how soon her friend had confessed such a thing to her, it wasn't often that someone told you how much you meant to them, especially not so soon. But of course Delphine felt she had known Cosima for much longer than a few short days. Over the year she had kept all their letters in a shoebox under her bed; every last one.

"I had fun today, Cosima. Thank you." She said quietly.

"Hey, me too! I never thought I'd get a vespa tour of Paris with me ol' French penpal!" She laughed.

"And I never thought I would run from Mme. Boucher with you, either!" She giggled, reminiscing.

"Oh, yeah, you won't get into trouble for cutting class, will you? Cause I'm really, really sorry, I don't really think about things when I do them..."

"Cosima." She said solemnly, lifting her head from Cosima's shoulder. "This was probably the most fun thing I have ever done. It felt so bad, but it was so fun!"

Cosima laughed affectionately.

"You're such a geek, Delphine."

Delphine blushed, nodding.

"J'sais. Anyway, what do you think of Paris so far mon ami?" Delphine asked, her eyes lost in the movement of the water.

"Mh-hm." Cosima mumbled, swallowing a mouthful of her drink. "It's really pretty, I mean it's just like what you see in films."

"Oui, je suppose c'est vrai." She agreed, as a long boat cut through the water gracefully.

"But why is it called the city of lights?" Cosima asked, her brow furrowed.

Delphine sat bolt upright, her eyes widened in surprise.

"Oh!" She exclaimed, checking the black leather-strap watch on her wrist.

"I can't believe I forgot! Okay, it's annnyy minute now..." She said quietly.

"Hm?"Cosima asked, confused.

"Okay, come on!" She said, standing up, pulling Cosima to her feet.

Delphine jumped onto the bench, then climbed on top of the back rest, scrambling up the concrete bank.

"Come on!" She said, stretching out her hand.

Cosima copied Delphine's movements, but she was at least 3 inches shorter, and couldn't quite reach the bank, standing on the back of the bench on her tiptoes precariously.

"Take my hand, I will pull you."

Cosima gripped both Delphine's hands tightly, scraping her boots against the concrete. Finally she reached the top, and rolled onto her back on the grass.

"God, I hate being short."

Delphine sat with her legs swinging over the bank, laughing.

"No, you are not short... just.."

"Delphine." Cosima said sternly, eyeing her through thick rimmed glasses. "I'm short."

Delphine laughed.

"Okay, if you insist." She got to her feet, and heaved Cosima up from the ground.

"Allons."Delphine said, dragging her by the hand in the direction of the bridge.

It had become very dark, the river below them swirling cold and black. Delphine studied her watch, as they leaned over the bridge, watching the mesmerising movement of the water.

"Okay." She whispered. "Are you ready Cosima? Un.. deux... trois..."

Cosima didn't understand what Delphine was wanting to show her, or why she was counting down, but she was excited, her eyes lit up with anticipation.

"Now!" She said triumphantly, and after a doubtful wait of about half a second, the whole of Paris seemed to be illuminated.

The tall shape of the Eiffel tower rippled upwards with light, the gold rush chasing away the blackness of the night around it. Silver lights twinkled as they danced up and down, each and every streetlamp lining the Seine flickering into light, reminding Cosima of stars on a clear night.

"Whew." She breathed, her cheeks puffing out.

"Gosh." Delphine sighed. "It never gets old. Trust me."

"It's beautiful..." Cosima sighed.

"C'est jolie, oui."

They stood there for what seemed like hours, with their backs leaning on the bridge, gazing out at the twinkling mass of the city. Delphine turned her head to Cosima, and smiled as she saw the reflection of the scene in her glasses. She was watching, amazed, her mouth gaping slightly in an awed smile. She turned to Delphine, and wrapped her arms around her tightly.

"C'est magique," She whispered. "Merci."

Delphine laughed; and she realised how much she valued Cosima's happiness. She was so glad that it had worked out so perfectly; she had dreamed of doing this with Cosima for months.

Suddenly, she snapped her dreamy gaze down to her watch.

"Ohh...merde!" She hissed.

"What is it?" Cosima asked, daydreaming amongst the lights of the city.

"Merde... Maman et Papa will be home now!"She cursed. "Okay, come on Cosima, we might be able to make it."

**AN: Merci! 20 followers, wow. That's so cool, thanks every one of you, it means so much to me that you are enjoying it enough to follow. **

**Please review this chapter, it is my favourite, I would love to know if you guys enjoyed it too! Let me know which chapter/type of thing was your fav and I'll see what I can do! Please do leave a review, it literally makes my day and I kinda do need more drive to write more (my college work is pilingg up) plus it kinda makes the whole thing more personal, ya know? Cheers everyboody, merci!**


	10. Chapter 10

**_AN: Quite a bit o' the ol francais in this one, (with translations, of course, comme toujours!) but it gives you more of a sense of how it would actually be said. Enjoy!_**

_"Merde... Maman et Papa will be home now!"She cursed. "Okay, come on Cosima, we might be able to make it."_

Cosima ran behind her dutifully, she definitely did not want to come between Delphine and her family. She also sensed that this bike ride might just be another hair raising journey.

Delphine rammed the key into the ignition and turned it forcefully.

"Are you on, Cosima?"

"Yeah." She said, more surely than she felt.

"Okay, hold on tight."

She revved the handles forward, the bike shuddering instantly. Delphine kicked the stand away quickly, and set off down the side street. Cosima wound her arms around Delphine's waist once again, bracing herself for the speed they were about to pick up.

The nervous arrow on the clock found itself scaling further to the right as the bike raced faster, Cosima's dreads flailing at the back of her neck.

"How long will it take Delphine?" She shouted forward.

"I don't know, maybe if I hurry about 5 minutes, we might be able to make it in time!"

They sped down the leaf-littered rues of Paris, Delphine car-dodging as only a European could(!), the mingled sense of danger and running out of time making the butterflies in Cosima's stomach scatter.

Delphine ignored the angry beeps coming from behind steering wheels, her wavy hair blowing around her cheeks gracefully. She pressed her heels down into the deck of the scooter in frustration, praying that Cosima was okay with the speed.

Cosima, on the other hand, much preferred using her skateboard, or even Scott's bicycle along the wide paths of San Fran. She clung to Delphine more desperately than before, hoping they would be able to get back in time. Or they would have a lot of explaining to do.

Finally, the tall white houses of the inner city-suburbs came into view. Cosima thought she recognised Delphine's house, and they slowed to a sudden halt. They quickly parked down another side street, flung open the gate and sprinted up the stone steps.

Delphine produced the large key from her pocket and was just about to slot it into the door, when it opened...

Delphine's father stood there solemnly, relief and disappointment etched onto his face. Mme. Cormier was sat at the bottom stair, her hand mid-way running through her wavy blonde hair. She bit her lip in the same worried way Delphine did, and the look of upset in her eyes made Cosima feel extremely guilty.

"Delphine. Cosima." Her father nodded in greeting. "Come in."

The red glow on their cheeks indicated their guiltiness; it was obvious they had been rushing back. Cosima got the feeling that Delphine rarely got into trouble with her parents, or even at all, and she was scared.

"Merci, Cosima, we would like a word with Delphine." They said, taking her into the living room.

"It's okay, go into my room if you like," Delphine smiled comfortingly.

However, this made Cosima even more uneasy. She nodded, as if agreeing, but planted herself on the stairs as soon as they disappeared into the side room.

Hushed voices spoke in as raised a tone as they could muster, mainly those of Delphine and her father.

Cosima strained to listen, the cogs in her head whirring as she tried to translate on the spot.

"Arrete!" Delphine shouted. "S'il te plait, papa!"

"Stop!" Delphine shouted. "Please, papa!"

It went quiet briefly. Cosima heard a creaking at the top of the stairs.

She turned around quickly to see Juliette, standing at the top, still in her school uniform. She smiled at Cosima kindly, and tiptoed down the stairs to sit behind her.

"Don't worry, Cosima," She whispered. "Delphine doesn't get in trouble often. but Papa never stays angry for long."

Cosima was grateful, and smiled weakly at Juliette.

She could pick out a bit more dialogue, with trouble.

"Je pense que cette fille est une mal influence." He murmured, but Cosima heard well enough.

"_I think that girl is a bad influence."_

She stopped, her breath frozen in her throat.

She knew enough to be able to translate what he just said. Juliette flinched inwardly.

"Cosima, he doesn't mean it," She reassured.

"Premièrement vous quittez la classe - le lycée a appelé - puis vous sortez, dans la ville je suppose?! Nous étions inquiets, Delphine! C'était TRES bete. Nous sommes très deçu avec toi."

"_Firstly you quit class - the school called - then you go out, into the city I suppose?! We were worried, Delphine! It was VERY stupid. We are very disappointed with you."_

Cosima got to her feet, and walked towards the living room door.

Juliette held out a hand to try and stop her.

"Cosima!" She whispered.

She gripped the cold brass doorknob with her hand and twisted it slowly. As the door opened, the whole room stared at her incredulously. Delphine flushed red all over her face.

"Mme. et M. Cormier. Je suis si si desole pour mes actions aujourd'hui. Je vous assurez que tous les choses etaient ma faute, pas la faute de votre fille. Je vous promets qu'il ne surviendra pas encore." She concluded, looking at the floor.

"_Mrs and Mr Cormier. I am so so sorry for my actions today. I assure you that everything was my fault, not your daughter's. I promise you that it won't happen again." She concluded, looking at the floor._

Mme. Cormier's eyes softened, but Delphine's father regarded her with the same nondescript expression.

"Very well." He said quietly. "You may go, Delphine. We can talk about this tomorrow."

Delphine's mother shot her a kind glance before she left the room, which comforted her a little.

Juliette ran back up the stairs, before anybody noticed, Delphine next, then Cosima.

"Delphine-" She began.

"No, Cosima. It is okay." She said, opening the door into their room.

The ginger cat bolted past the door and dived straight onto Delphine's bed.

Delphine assumed her position on the duvet, and sat stroking the cat's head, as it purred deeply. She smiled weakly, and scratched behind its ears.

"No, it's not okay," Cosima said, searching Delphine's eyes with her own from opposite the room.

She too plonked onto her bed, and pulled off her boots forcefully.

"Delphine, I got you into trouble with your parents, and that is too far. Maybe they're right, maybe I am a bad influence."

"No-!" Delphine interjected, with such passion that Moot stood bolt upright. "No, Cosima. They do not know you. They do not know how much I need our friendship, or how much I have been waiting for these days. It is not your fault or mine Cosima. I would do it all again."

Cosima laid back on her bed and sighed.

"Really?" She said, feeling a little comforted.

Delphine nodded, as if it were obvious.

"Then so would I." She said, tilting her head across, and smiling, the cheeky sparkle in her eyes returning once again.

Downstairs, away from the ears of Delphine and Cosima, low voices rumbled constantly, in huffed dilemma.

"Elle est un mal influence!" Delphine's father ranted, running a hand over his bald head in frustration.

_"She is a bad influence!"_

"Oui, peut-etre, mais notre fille n'avait pas un ami depuis..." She lowered her voice to a whisper. "Depuis Danielle... Peut-etre cette fille est bon pour elle."

_"Yes, maybe. But our daughter hasn't had a friend since..." She lowered her voice to a whisper. "Since Danielle...Maybe this girl is good for her."_

Monsieur Cormier sighed, and sat down dejectedly on the sofa.

"Pauvre enfant. Danielle, je voulais dire." He looked down at the wine glass as he twisted it between his fingers. "Tu as raison, Melanie. Comme toujours. Delphine n'a pas ete si hereuse depuis longtemps. Peut-etre la fille est seulement jeune. Elles doivent s'amuser."

_"Poor child. Danielle I mean." He looked down at the wine glass as he twisted it between his fingers._ _"You are right, Melanie. As always. Delphine hasn't been this happy for a long time. Maybe the girl is just young. They should have fun."_

He sighed as he drained the last of the wine from his glass. Melanie sunk into the sofa beside him, her apologetic, wide brown eyes very much resembling Delphine's.

"Oui, elles sont jeunes, c'est tout. Ce ne sera pas pour beaucoup de temps. Et c'est vrai, Delphine est vraiment hereuse, nous devraient etre hereuse aussi."

_"Yes, they are young, that's all. It won't be for a long time. And it's true, Delphine is truly happy. We should be happy too."_

**AN: Sorry sorry for the angst. None of you signed up for hurt/comfort, I know. Anyway, geez those reviews made my absolute day, honestly. Like do you know how happy they make me when I check my email at college? Thank you so much for your kind words everyone, ****_goolamgleek, Lillian, Ioni, lucky, and all the guest reviews out there! Your reviews are really appreciated and totally encouraging. ( see what i did there) _****I know this was a bit of an angsty one, but there are chapters to rival our fav. chapter 9 to come! So keep an eye out! We'll be heading to San Fran soon! Remember to review (plz) and even recommend it around, on Tumblr or something, the more the merrier!**


	11. Chapter 11

**AN: This is a load of rubbish, I know. But there's been a major glitch on my stupid laptop and my fic has been deleted. And I had about 5/6 full chapters that I was about to upload. They had taken me hours to write. I don't know what has happened, or why it happened, but now I'm really angry and there's a fine line between me not finishing this fic or getting my head down and writing it all again. Which idk if I can do, I was gonna finish this fic and then not write for a while because it just takes so much time (though I LOVE IT so much). I literally wrote ALL day today. Which just makes it so much worse.**

**I would hate to not finish this, but just be patient is all I'm saying. If I do upload, it might be in a few days or a week or so. I don't think I will abandon it but just in case. Don't unfollow or anything, cause if I manage to restore it I have like loads of SanFran chapters done. Sorry, but you won't be as upset as I am. ~cophineonthescene **


	12. Chapter 12

**AN: lol cophineonthescene is back on the scene, though I couldn't recover it...**

Delphine opened her eyes slowly and stretched out her legs so her feet were exposed to the cold air. She sighed comfortably.

"Finally," Cosima joked wearily.

"Bonjour Cosima," She mumbled.

"I'm so glad you have Fridays off," She said. She had noticed Delphine spoke more French when she was subconcious from sleep.

"Mm-hm." She stretched her arms above her head, groaning.

"Hey, Delphine?" Cosima said, turning on her side.

"Ouais?"

"I was just thinking, do you think we should do something for your parents, you know like a peace offering?" She suggested.

Delphine furrowed her brow slightly; she had forgotten all about the angst from the night before, and she was still upset with her parents.

"Pourquoi? We didn't do anything wrong, I told you."

"Yeah, I know, but I just don't want to leave on a bad impression. They've been so hospitable to me, I just couldn't do it."

Delphine turned onto her side, so that they were facing each other from opposite sides of the room.

"If that's how you feel, but comme quoi?" She murmured, rubbing her eyes with her fists.

_'like what?'_

"Uhhmm, I don't know, like maybe make dinner or something?"

Delphine raised herself to an elbow.

"Hm. Ouais...okay. It might be fun. I can teach you some French cuisiniere." She smiled weakly.

"Okay," Delphine sighed as she threw the paper bags down onto the table. "I will find my grandmere's old recipe, then we can start."

Cosima smiled, her cheeks reddened by the chill outside, her bare ears bitten by the cold.

"D'accord, first we need to coupe-cut the vegetables," She said, clutching a piece of handwritten paper. "Then, we need to-"

"Delphine!"Cosima realised. "We forgot to buy bread."

"Oh, it's okay," She dismissed with a casual wave of her hand. "We'll just make some."

Cosima laughed at the very Frenchness of her nonchalance at the idea.

"Okay, so you can cut the vegetables, and I will make the bread, is that okay?" She asked brightly.

"Oui chef!" Cosima joked, bobbing her head.

Delphine crouched down, and rooted inside a cupboard, throwing a red apron at Cosima.

"Here, it's your colour." She said as she caught it.

Cosima pushed her head through the neck loop and attempted to tie the knot at the back.

"M-hfff," Delphine mumbled, her own apron between her teeth as she gestured to tie Cosima's.

Delphine pulled the loop over her voluminous hair, and Cosima tied a bow in the back.

"Ohmygosh Delphine, we should totally get you one of those hats, you know the big white chef ones? That would look totally cute."

Delphine nodded, seriously, trying to ignore the blush creeping onto her cheeks.

"Oh yes, I am almost sure we have one. My grandmother used to be the head chef in a very famous restaurant in Paris, the only woman in the kitchen." She said proudly.

Cosima looked impressed, "Good, well then I'm expecting great things from you today, cause I've never made Ratatouille in my life."

"Yesss...I've found it!" Delphine said, rooting in the cupboard beneath the worktop. She emerged again and pulled out a white hat, pushing her arm through the middle to make it stand on end.

She pulled it down over her head, her hair sticking out in curls beneath the hat. Cosima laughed as it slid down her nose, her eyes peering out from it like a guilty puppy.

"Parfait pour boulanger le pain!" She said, adjusting her hat regally.

_'Perfect for baking bread!'_

Cosima laughed, and rolled her eyes, going to retrieve the bags of ingredients from the table

After some time, the windows in the kitchen had steamed up, and Cosima was layering a dish with round slices of tomato and courgette. She sliced the vegetables with such speed that Delphine was worried for her fingers.

"Cosima! Tu es un expert!" She said incredulously.

"Nahh," She denied, wrinkling her nose.

Delphine brought the dough backwards and forwards, rolling it in the flour with her hands, as if she had done it many times before. She blew air upwards, so the straggly bits of hair stood up then flopped back down.

"Hey Delphine,"

"Mm?"

"You have flour on your nez." She smirked, leaning with her back on the counter beside her.

Delphine blushed as Cosima trailed a fingertip over her nose, her own palms resting in the flour on the counter. She put both hands on each side of Cosima's face, looking into her eyes mischeviously before she let go.

"Oh no you didn't..." Cosima warned.

Delphine nodded, biting her bottom lip, laughing to herself. Cosima's cheeks were covered with 2 large handprints of the white powder. Cosima grabbed a handful and threw it in Delphine's face, though more than she expected. She gasped as the white cloud disapparated, revealing a white mask with two large brown eyes blinking behind it.

"Ohmygosh, sorry, sorry," She backtracked as Delphine stared at her solemnly with an untelling expression. She had flour in every crease of her skin; her eyebrows, eyelashes, and hair.

Cosima sidled away from Delphine, who had other ideas. She sprinkled a handful of flour over Cosima's perfectly twisted dreadlocks slowly and painfully. Cosima stood still, it was only fair.

"Si jolie," She mocked, turning to get a rolling pin.

_'So pretty,"_

Cosima jumped on her back, throwing flour all down her apron and in her hair, laughing uncontrollably.

"Laissez-moi!" Delphine shouted, though her words were muffled with giggling.

_'Let me go!'_

Cosima released her arms from around her shoulders, and they stood in a standoff.

"Okay, quits." Cosima compromised. "France and America are allies, right?"

"Not any more," Delphine giggled, narrowing her eyes.

They both slung their creations in the oven, and sat down at the table exhaustedly.

"Pffffft," Delphine exhaled, pulling off the chef's hat to expose her hair, frizzier than normal in the heat of the kitchen. Her cheeks were an irritable red, and a bead of sweat ran down her temple.

Cosima stretched her arms up, puffing out her cheeks as she breathed out. Her dreads were still tinted grey with the flour, her glasses steamed up a little.

"Now we wait." Delphine concluded, slouching in the chair.

**AN: I've got to be the only person who does 2 ANs. I just talk too much. Thank you SO MUCH for being so supportive. I know it got a bit dramatic back there, but you guys saying how much you'e enjoying it and just being so nice abut it all really cheered me up. It's so disheartening to lose all my work, which I have...but hey i shouldnt complain. #firstworldprobs right? It's just annoying cause normally when I upload I'm like 5 chapters ahead of you, whereas now it's just upload as i finish. Well anyway, I might not be able to upload every night but I thought you guys deserved a little chapter I wrote up again just now. It's okay, I'll do my french homework on the bus (no jk :D) hope you enjoy it, and thanks again. i have the best fanfic peeps ever :) (ty goolamgleek, twigheight, and ****_all the lovely guest reviews_****. i nearly got so sick of the whole thing, so merci beaucoup beaucoup)**


	13. Chapter 13

"I can't believe it's the last day," Cosima sighed, squinting into the green telescope at the top of the Eiffel tower. "I'm glad we made it up to your parents last night though. They did like it, didn't they?"

"Yes, you won them over, Cosima." Delphine smiled.

"I'm going to miss you, Cosima." Juliette said as she bounded over. "It's been more fun with you around."

Cosima tugged at one of Juliette's brown plaits.

"I'm gonna miss ya too, kid." She said playfully.

"Should we get a group photo?" Juliette suggested.

"Yeah! But let's get someone else to take it for us." Cosima said, before stopping somebody. "Vous pouvez prendre un photo pour nous s'il vous plait?" She charmed a handsome-looking man.

_'Could you take a photo for us, please?'_

"Oui, bien sur." He agreed, taking Juliette's polaroid camera.

_'Yes, of course.'_

"Maman! Papa!" Delphine shouted over, to her parents. "Photo!"

Delphine and Cosima stood in the middle, Cosima's arms around Delphine and Juliette's shoulders, Delphine's parents on the end beside her.

"Merci beaucoup." Delphine smiled as he handed her back the camera, the square photograph sliding out. Juliette snatched the picture from the camera.

"Don't look! We need to save the moment." She teased, waving it in the air to dry before putting it safely in her pocket.

"Oui,un bon idée." Cosima agreed.

"Here, I will take one of you two." Juliette offered.

Cosima threw both arms around Delphine's shoulders from the back, and pressed their cheeks together, smiling goofily. Delphine laughed, Cosima's face feeling cold against her skin.

They descended the metal steps together, the cold winds whipping around the structure. It made Cosima feel a little giddy, but she savoured the moment.

"Okay," Delphine began. "Maman, Papa et Juliette will go get us some food, we will meet back up with them later." She said, kissing each one of them on the cheek fleetingly. "I have one last thing I want to show you."

Cosima smiled. She was getting used to Delphine's love for surprises, and hoped maybe this would explain the heavy object which had been weighing down her pocket all day.

"Le pont des Arts." She whispered mysteriously.

Cosima followed her along the Seine, she knew 'pont' was bridge, and the name rang a bell, but she couldn't remember what was special about it. They passed many footbridges, Cosima wondering which one they would stop at.

"Lá," Delphine pointed.

"Ohhhh." Cosima realised. She now remembered the faded image in her French textbook.

They walked onto a bridge, its sides covered with thousands of padlocks, as far as it stretched along the width of the river. There were huge, industrial looking padlocks, and smaller, more modest ones, some attached to others, hanging from the metal hash of the bridge.

"You know it?" Delphine asked.

"Mm-hmm," Cosima nodded, admiring the romanticism of it. All around were couples, throwing keys into the river below, old and young alike.

"Okay, I have one." Delphine said, bringing out a gold lock from her pocket. "We just have to find somewhere to put it."

Cosima looked to Delphine and shook her head, smiling.

"You've had this all planned out, haven't you?" She realised incredulously.

"Yes, well, most of it, I admit." She laughed, shrugging her shoulders. "Ohhhkay, how about - THERE."

Cosima spotted the gap Delphine was pointing to, and they ran towards it as if someone were to take it that very second.

"Here," She said, handing Cosima the padlock and a black marker pen.

Cosima took it from her cold fingers and wrote 'DELPHINE &' in her scrawled handwriting.

Delphine smiled, she thought Cosima would have written her own name.

"You have a scientist's handwriting, you know that?" She laughed, finishing it with 'Cosima' in a more elegant cursive.

She snapped it together around a metal link of the bridge, and they each took a key. With their backs to the water, they threw the keys over their shoulders, and leaned over quickly to see the small shapes plummet into the river.

"Now, even when you're not here, you'll still be here." Delphine said, furrowing her brow with her attempt at sounding sentimental.

"That's...oddly romantic." Cosima teased, linking arms as they walked away.

**AN: I bet you're all wondering what all the fuss was about, right? haha well I can't stop writing this darn thing and i might as well upload for you guys. it's a bit (a lot) of a drag re-writing all this stuff, but at the time i was really proud of these ideas, and they're still new for you, so yeah! enjoy, and please continue to review and stuff, and spread the cophine love! how do we get more people reading? hmm i've been wondering how to increase my sales ...any tips? ;) merci as always, i wouldnt do it without you all! (ps. i got the highest mark on my french hwrk so we're still doing ok hahah)**


	14. Chapter 14

"You won't be needing that," Cosima advised as Delphine folded a jumper to put in her bag.

"Non?"

"Nope," Cosima said, taking it out gently. "It's gonna be warm, like maybe 25 degrees?"

"Oh! Okay, genial." Delphine smiled, comparing this promise with the grey rainy view from her bedroom window.

"But maybe this..." Cosima said, going through her wardrobe and throwing some denim shorts over. "And this...?"

Delphine emptied her suitcase of jumpers, skirts and boots and filled it with shorts, sneakers and sunglasses. Cosima threw her a blue and white stripy t-shirt, and a white vest top. She folded them neatly before putting them in her bag.

"Okay!" Delphine sighed, sitting on top of her suitcase and zipping it round. "I think I'm ready."

"Right! Cool, yeah. Let's go then." Cosima agreed, buttoning up her red coat, her black and grey scarf hugging her neck.

Cosima held the bedroom door open as Delphine sidled past with her huge leather trunk. Cosima glanced back at the rug where they had done math together, and the tape player which now lay empty, Delphine's favourite mixtape safely in her emptied school satchel.

They dragged their bags down the stairs, noisily bumping down each step. Delphine's mother watched them with a hint of wistfulness.

"Okay, allons-y, quoi?" She smiled, holding open the door.

Cosima carried her bag down the stone steps, taking one last look up at the tall white house before leaving down the narrow path. They all helped to throw the luggage into the green minivan, and set off for the last time through Paris. Cosima pressed her hand to the cold, misted window as the spire of the Eiffel tower disappeared behind rows of houses. She sighed, and sensed Delphine's eyes on the back of her head.

"It's okay, our fun is not over yet." She comforted.

"Yeah! I know." Cosima smiled. "San Fran here we come, right?"

They drove through les rues of Paris, the streets lined with avenues of golden trees, and couples wrapped in warm coats. They left the inner city, and approached the large sprawl of the airport carpark. Cosima remembered her excitement the last time she was there. It all seemed so much different now.

Delphine's father pulled the handbrake, and helped heave their bags out of the back. They all stood, facing each other.

"Merci pour TOUS les choses vous avez fait pour moi. Vous avez été trop sympa, et je suis si reconaissant. Je suis desole si j'étais irresponsable, mais Delphine sera formidable avec moi, ne vous inquiétez pas." Cosima spurted passionately.

_"Thankyou for EVERYTHING you have done for me. You have been too kind, and I am so grateful. I am sorry if I was irresponsible, but Delphine will be fine with me, don't worry." Cosima spurted passionately._

Delphine's parents smiled at her proudly.

"Pas du tout. Merci à vous, Cosima. Vous signifiez beaucoup de notre fille." Delphine's father said, shaking her hand.

"_Not at all. Thanks to __**you**__ Cosima. You mean a lot to our daughter."_

"Au revoir," Cosima said, kissing each one of them on each cheek, before Delphine flung her arms around her parents.

"Please, take my camera." Juliette said, placing her polaroid into Cosima's cold hands. "I want to see all the fun things you do in America."

"Sure thing, kid." Cosima smiled, hugging her warmly. "Thanks."

Delphine bounded over to her sister.

"Au revoir ma petite soeur, je t'aime."

Delphine choked, pulling her in tightly.

"Je t'aime aussi, mais regarde Delphine, tu deviens si sentimentale parfois!" Juliette laughed.

_"I love you too, but see Delphine, you become so sentimental sometimes!"_

"Au revoir," Cosima and Delphine said together, as they wheeled their cases behind them. Delphine blew a kiss behind her, waving at her family one last time.

"Hey, don't worry." Cosima laughed softly. "You'll see them again."

"I know, but this is my first time away from them, so of course it is a bit scary."

"Scary? With me around? Nah, you'll be fine." Cosima said, nudging her gently.

Delphine smiled across at her, grateful. They approached the group of gossiping teenagers, Cosima's teacher seemingly lost in the middle.

"Cosima!" She stood on her tiptoes. "You're here. Great. I think that's everybody! Hello, Delphine! Lovely to meet you." She shouted over the sea of heads. "Okay! When I call your name, raise your hand. You are responsible for your buddy, so keep them close."

Cosima nudged into Delphine, hooking an arm around her neck.

"Si poche Cosima? C'est necessaire?" Delphine laughed.

_"So close Cosima? Is that necessary?" Delphine laughed_

"Oui." Cosima answered, trying to keep a straight face. "Absolument necessaire."

They filed into the airport, Delphine gazing around at the alien environment around her. She watched worriedly as her suitcase disappeared from view, feeling strangely lost. The two joined the long queue for boarding, passports in hand. Delphine giggled fondly at Cosima's photo, which was taken when she was only 12, before the dreadlocks.

Delphine covered her mouth with a hand, to stifle her laughing.

"Aw, Cosima, tu étais juste un bébé."

"_Aw Cosima, you were just a baby."_

"Yeah, yeah whatever." Cosima scowled jokingly.

"C'est mignon!" She insisted.

_"It's cute!"_

Cosima handed her passport and boarding pass to the attendant, who looked from the photo to her, and back again. He nodded, and handed her it back. Cosima waited for Delphine to be approved, and she grabbed her hand as they ran down the tunnel together.

Delphine stepped onto the plane behind Cosima. Something about the metal case of the plane, and the strange clean smell made her feel uneasy. The thought suddenly struck her; she might be scared of flying. She ignored the strange leap in her heart as the hostess handed her the ticket back and tried to supress her rising panic. They scanned the rows, trying to identify their seats.

"Oh," Cosima frowned, reading the number on her ticket. "That's not fair. You should have the window, it's your first time, go on."

"Thank you." Delphine said unsurely, sidling down the row of 3 seats, sinking into the squashy leather.

"Hey, you okay?" Cosima asked, concerned.

"Ouais, ouais. Bien sur, ouais." Delphine said quickly, trying to ignore the safety leaflet which stared at her from the pocket of the seat in front.

_"Yeah, yeah. Of course, yeah."_

"It's pretty safe, you know. Don't worry." Cosima comforted, steering her worried gaze into her own.

The plane shuddered into life, beginning to accelerate down the runway. Delphine's eyes widened in horror.

"Oh God, Cosima." She whispered.

"Here, take my hand. It's ok, honestly." She said, holding out an outstretched palm.

The speed picked up, and Delphine closed her eyes as her head was pressed to the headrest. She gripped Cosima's hand tightly, and tried to calm her breathing.

"Oh God, oh God,"

"Don't worry, this is the fun part!" Cosima said, the vibrations distorting her voice amusingly, her eyes lit up with excitement.

Delphine laughed nervously, though Cosima's nonchalance always did help to calm her. The plane raced down the runway, the white dashed lines on the road merging into one with the speed. Beeps sounded, and lights flashed above her head, and she screwed her eyes shut.

**AN: Hey guys! Gosh we're nearly getting there... soon I'll be back on track! Thanks for all your constant support, it's very kind of ye. Let me know what you think about this chapter, or what you think is going to happen. Will you miss France? Think I will. I know nothing about America, except from films, so...San Fran allons-y! This should be fun!**

**Oh and hahahaa glad you all enjoyed the cheesiest fluff I have ever written, the flour fight and the padlock Paris bridge, I just thought I might as well. I mean you read fic for fluff right? That's basically why we're all here. Hahaha well there'll probs be more to come...**


	15. Chapter 15

The shuddering of the plane stopped, and a strange sensation rushed through Delphine's stomach as they gained height. She tried to ignore the view out of the window as it dipped out and leveled into sight.

"See, that wasn't so bad, was it?" Cosima asked brightly.

"No, not so bad. I will not want to do it alone, though." She admitted, thinking of the journey home, in a week.

"Hey, don't think of that, our adventure is only just starting again!" She chirped, a full grin on her face.

"Yes, I know. And thank you." She said, shaking Cosima's hand in her own, before feeling brave enough to let go. She peered hesitantly out of the oblong window.

"Paris is so pretty...from the sky I mean." She whispered.

"Yeah, that's what I thought on the way here. It looks so big..." Cosima said, leaning over to see the view.

After talking non-stop for about 3 hours, time started to take it's toll on Cosima. When Delphine's question was ignored, she turned her head to see Cosima sat with her eyes closed, soundly asleep. She shook her head fondly, and decided to read a while, pulling out the battered book from her satchel.

Taking out the small piece of paper of a bookmark, she picked up where she left off. This book was amazing, it explored all kinds of morals and scientific endeavour, and Delphine cherished it. However, the English words didn't seem to seep into her understanding, and if she didn't concentrate fully, she could read a full page without remembering a thing. So, reading took a lot longer than normal. She read a line, then translated it, then read it back to understand what had happened. But it was worth it. She wondered if Cosima had ever heard of it.

Suddenly, she felt something slide gently into her shoulder. Cosima's head had lolled sideways, and she was resting her head wholly on Delphine. She smiled, Cosima's dreadlocks hanging around her face.

Delphine twisted one between her fingers. It felt fibrous and strange, reminding her unhelpfully of a collagen molecule. She wondered what had made Cosima choose dreadlocks in the first place.

Delphine noticed her own eyes starting to droop after around an hour of solid reading. She plugged in her earphones and played the mixtape, the Cure song reminding her of the night they had spent doing homework in her room. She smiled, her hands going limp as she attempted to read the book. Her eyelids fell shut, and she fell asleep, her head lolling on top of Cosima's.

The plane was quiet, everyone seemed to be sleeping. Cosima's teacher glanced across and saw the two sleeping soundly. She smiled, she was so glad the exchange had turned out so well; so many of them had become great friends.

The animated plane jumped across the screen above them, showing that they were flying near the east coast. 9 hours had passed, and they only had 3 more to go.

Cosima blinked wearily, her eyeliner sticky and warm on her eyelids. The heavy feeling on the top of her head and Delphine's now familiar scent confirmed that they must have both fallen asleep. She gently lowered Delphine's head to her shoulder, freeing her own strained neck. She stretched and craned her neck so it clicked, checking the map above them. They were over America, great. She was so glad she had slept through most of it. It was going to be a long day.

She noticed the small, aged book lying halfway open in Delphine's manicured hands. A deep purple was laquered perfectly over each nail, her fingers long and thin, sometimes twitching a little in her sleep.

"The Island of Doctor Moreau," Cosima whispered, stroking the faded image on the cover. She smiled, this used to be her favourite book. Still was, she supposed.

She could hear the sound of quiet music jangling from somewhere close by her, and noticed that one of Delphine's in-ear headphones was dangling over her chest. She picked it up carefully, and heard the volume increase as she brought it closer to her ear. It was a beautiful acoustic French song, the mellow tune reminding her of walking beside the Seine with Delphine in the dark. She felt a small pang for Paris, but pushed it aside. After all, she reminded herself, it's not the place you're at but the people you are with which makes something so special. She imagined walking by the Seine with Rachel Duncan wouldn't have been quite so magical.

_(listen with Cosima! La Javanaise - Siobhan Wilson)_

The words passed her by; she recognised a few but couldn't quite string them together. But it was a beautiful song, and she listened until the end, approving more of this than the Cure, as she teased Delphine before.

An idea crossed her mind, and a mischevious grin passed onto her face. She delved into her bag, and took out Juliette's polaroid camera. Giggling quietly, she turned it around, her arm held out awkwardly to fit them both in. She grinned goofily beside Delphine's oblivious, gaping mouthed face,and snapped a picture of the two , for Juliette's sake (of course). The second time she posed as if she were asleep too, resting her head on Delphine's, her mouth exaggeratedly open. The pictures were produced, and she shook them lightly and waited for the black to fade. She stifled her laugh as she admired the result.

Delphine stirred a little, mumbling something inaudibly when the plane experienced some turbulence.

"Hmm?" She murmured, drawing a deep breath through her nose.

"Oh, hey," Cosima said casually, hiding the photographs quickly.

"Quoi-ou sommes nous?" She said, sitting up in her seat.

"Delphine," Cosima sang. "It's Cosima, you're going to San Francisco, rappelez?"

Delphine laughed slightly, brow still furrowed.

"Oh yes," She realised, relaxing her shoulders, sitting back in the chair. "Well, that was confusing."

Cosima laughed.

"Yeah, you've been out for ages."

"Really?" She sighed. "How long?"

"Uhh, about 3 and a half, but I was aslep too, so it was probs way longer."

"Yes, you fell asleep before. I was reading- oh you have my book!"She realised.

"Oh yeah, I love this book! I must have read it at least 20 times, no joke! Are you enjoying it?"

"Really?! Oh yes, I love it. It is science-geeky like us." She laughed.

"Yeah," Cosima agreed, her dreadlocks jumping. "I think it catalysed my love for crazy biology."

"M-hm, I can see why," She smiled, taking the book in her hands.

'We are now arriving at San Francisco International Airport, local time 8pm, temperature 25 degrees celsius.' A clipped French accent announced.

Delphine looked down at her watch; it still read the time in France, the time their bodies thought it was. 5 am.

"You ready?" Cosima asked, her eyes sparkling.

As they leaned over to the window, the Golden Gate bridge came into view - two thin red lines beside a constant stream of gleaming car lights. Delphine nodded slowly in response as she gawped out of the window, her excitement taking over her tiredness.

**AN: Hope you enjoy the song, it's si belle :) Okay, would you guys prefer regular uploads of really small chapters like i usually do, or would you prefer to wait a bit longer for chunkier chapters? It's up to you! Decisions decisions...Merci toujours :) ~cophineonthescene**


	16. Chapter 16

"Okay, well welcome to San Fran," Cosima said, grinning as she walked backwards, thumbing for a cab.

"Yes, merci," Delphine sighed, wiping her forehead with the back of her hand.

"Haha, you're hot already?" Cosima laughed, swinging their suitcases into the boot. "It's only evening aswell, it'll hot it up way more tomorrow."

They slid into the back seat, the black leather burning Delphine's skin.

"The Firehouse, south of Market street?" Cosima leaned forward to ask the driver.

He nodded knowingly, and the car started off smoothly. Delphine gazed out of the window and saw the heat rippled road in the setting sunlight, tall Californian palm trees standing coolly above the wide roads. She gazed up at the city as they drove up the steep hills, from Chinatown to the inner city. She glimpsed a red tram sailing up one of the banks at a kind of laid-back speed.

The car seemed to slow down as they passed more and more small houses and apartments, stopping outside a large square building.

Cosima dug a creased 5 dollar bill from the bottom of her franc-filled purse, and handed it to the driver politely, before pulling their large bags from the trunk.

"Wow Cosima," Delphine gasped as the cab drove away. "Your house is so much bigger than mine!"

Cosima laughed a little.

"No, it's really not."

"Oh but it is, it-"

"My apartment's on the 3rd floor." She said boredly.

"Oh." Delphine realised. "Well, that is cool. Very cosmopolitan, just like I expected. It suits you. - Cosima-politan!" She laughed at her own joke.

"Seriously?" Cosima shook her head, grinning.

Delphine followed her friend inside the draughty building, dragging their bags into the small lift. No sound but the creaking of the pulleys could be heard as it rose upwards.

"No music?" Delphine asked.

"Nah, we're not that fancy here at Cosima-politan apartments." Cosima joked, raising her eyebrows.

"Then we should make some," She laughed, humming a mindless tune.

"Get me out of here!" Cosima whispered, looking to the ceiling. They both burst out laughing, their tiredness making them delirious.

The doors slid open, and they helped each other to haul their suitcases out before the doors shut. Cosima walked up to her door and fished around for her key at the bottom of her bag. She dug it out and pushed the door open with her foot, letting Delphine in front of her.

"I don't think my mom will be here, I think she's working nights, so you'll meet her tomorrow, okay?"

"Yes, okay," She agreed.

Delphine walked into the apartment; it was big, and warmly decorated, with rugs of deep red and smooth maroon curtains, a large leather sofa and armchair surrounding the glass coffee table. Delphine's attention was drawn to a large bookshelf crammed with books and folders, and the art which hung a little lopsidedly on the walls. A large glass tank sat on one table, condensation clouding its transparency.

"Wow, it is so nice Cosima. I like it!" She said genuinely. "Is that your snake?"

Cosima saw to where she was pointing, and she nodded.

"Yeah, that's Darwin. I'll show him to you tomorrow, but he's probably nearly as tired as we are at the mo so we'll leave him for now." She walked to the back of the apartment. "Mom? Mom are you in?"

Delphine watched as she shouted up the metal spiral staircase wearily. When she was greeted with no answer, she went on the hunt for food.

"Oh sweet! Delphine, Mom's left us money for pizza. Oh, and she says hi."

Delphine laughed, and walked over to read the note Cosima's mother had left for them on the counter.

'Hello nugget, say hi to Delphine from me. Stuff your faces, Mom.'

Cosima picked up the phone, and dialled the number quickly. She reeled off a list from the top of her head with hungry speed.

"Right, now we've got that out of the way I can show you to my room!" She said, leading her to the metal staircase at the back of the apartment. Beside it was a tall metal pole, which ran right up through a hole in the ceiling. She looked at it curiously.

"Oh, this place used to be an old firestation. They left some of the old features in." Cosima explained.

Delphine nodded slowly in realisation.

They lugged their heavy bags up the stairs, panting as they reached the top.

"So!" Cosima breathed. "This is my room-"

Delphine scanned around; on the right there was a large bay window fringed by heavy purple curtains, a double bed sat in the middle of the room. On the left was a tall chest of drawers, clothes hanging out and strewn over the top. A canvas of abstract art hung over the headboard, a framed picture of Cosima, her mom, and presumably Alison beside her bed.

"Oh, it's nice Cosima, it's so you!" She concluded.

"Hah, thanks, but it's more me when it's a mess, which is what it usually is. So anyway, I can take the inflatable thing, unless you don't mind sharing the bed- sorry I don't have much of a better arrangement."

"Oui, sharing is fine." She agreed, indifferent.

"Uh, yeah, okay, I mean, if you don't mind.." Cosima said.

"Of course not, I would feel too guilty if you slept on the floor, mon ami." She smiled.

A shrill ringing sounded, and Cosima snapped alert.

"That must be the pizza dude!" She said, sliding expertly down the pole. "Take the stairs if you want!" She shouted back.

Delphine laughed, eyes wide at Cosima's sudden disappearance. By the time she had come down the stairs, Cosima's arms were laden with pizza boxes up to her eyeballs, kicking the door shut behind her with the back of her heel.

"Okay, now nous mangeons." Cosima said, emptying her arms onto the counter. They grabbed boxes and filled the coffee table, collapsing onto the leather couch.

The food, tiredness and sugar had made them a bit hyper, and as the floor began to get littered with more and more empty pizza boxes, they started to feel a bit hysterical. They laughed for minutes over the tiniest things, actual tears coming from their eyes.

"Ohmygosh! I know what we can do. This will be fun," Cosima said, disappearing for a moment. She came back with some kind of canister.

"Qu'est-ce que c'est?" Delphine asked, one eyebrow raised, slouched on the sofa.

_'What is it?'_

"It's helium," Cosima grinned, grabbing a bag from the kitchen. "Mom had some left over from when she was planning her friend's birthday like last month."

Delphine still looked confused, so Cosima filled a bag with the gas and took a long breath in.

"Do you get it now?" She squeaked, even her giggling high pitched.

Delphine's mouth dropped, she had never seen this before.

"Is it dangerous?"

"Only if your voice stays like this!" Cosima laughed, offering her the bag.

Delphine took a breath hesitantly.

"Has it worked?" She chirped, before covering her own mouth with her hands in shock.

"I think so!" Cosima snickered.

"I-I'm helium and I'm way funnier than polonium!" She exploded.

They broke down into laughter, their sides aching.

"Helium is way funnier than polonium," Delphine sniggered, though she was thinking that polonium wasn't even a funny element.

"It is, oh my God." Cosima slurred.

"Francais est la plus belle langue, non? Meme quand je dit comme ca?" Delphine laughed, trying to sound eloquent with her French squeakiness.

'_French is the most beautiful language, right? Even when I speak like this?'_

"Oui, meme quand tu semble une souris, Delphine, c'est toujours." She snickered.

"_Yes, even when you resemble a mouse, Delphine.'_

Delphine staggered about, her vision blurring slightly. A combination of everything had given her a niggling headache, and she slumped into the sofa, twirling Cosima to sit beside her, her legs lying over Delphine's lap.

"Has the helium voice gone now?" Delphine said, her cheeks aching.

"Umm, yes, it has." Cosima grinned up at her through her thick rimmed glasses.

A familiar knock at the door caused her to sit up quickly.

"Who's that? Mom shouldn't be home yet..." She said, a little uneasily.

She padded over to the door and checked through the spyhole for safety before un-threading the chain from the lock. She opened the door minimally.

"Oh! Hey, Cosima," Scott stuttered, flustered. "How was your trip - is she here?"

"Yeah, she's here," Cosima said flatly.

Scott grinned, he was used to Cosima's difficult moods, even when she was putting it on.

"So, are you gonna let me in or..."

"I dunno, Scotty, am I?" She said, whispering through the gap in the door.

Delphine watched from the couch as Cosima had her strange conversation. She twisted her wooly-socked foot around the back of her left heel as she spoke, her body thrown a little sideways.

"No, of course imma let you in," She gave in, opening the door. "Delphine? This is Scott, he's even geekier than us. My right hand lab-rat. Scott, this is Delphine, and...you've heard enough about her."

Scott looked over to where Delphine was slouched on the sofa, her blonde hair tousled and a little wild. She smiled as she saw him, and got to her feet.

"Bonjour, Scott. Enchanté." She said warmly, shaking his hand.

He swallowed; his throat had suddenly become dry, which may have had something to do with the way her hazel eyes seemed to have about 20 different colours in them once you got close enough.

"Ennchanté..." He stuttered, still shaking her hand.

"Hey, steamy potatoes," Cosima interrupted. "Go and grab a load of that pizza, we've got way too much. Then can you kinda beat it? I'm slowin down here."

"Huh- oh yeah, sure." He said quickly. "Thanks, Cosima. I just came to see how you were."

He grabbed a pizza box, and made towards the door.

"Nice to meet you, Delphine." He grinned goofily. "Seeya at school tomorrow, Cosima."

"Yeah, seeya."

They waited until the door closed before Cosima suggested they hit the hay. Delphine asked the way to the bathroom, and took her pyjamas and toothbrush with her. Cosima got changed in her room, closing the curtains across the entrance just in case. Delphine's light footsteps up the stairs indicated that she was unsure whether to come in.

"Cosima?" She asked gingerly.

"Oh! Yeah, sorry, one sec." She said, pulling back the curtains.

She was wearing some baggy tracksuit bottoms and an old white t-shirt of her mom's. Again, Delphine's blue cloud flannel pyjamas contrasted with Cosima's choice.

After leaving Delphine while she went to the bathroom, she returned, to find her already asleep, eyes closed peacefully. Cosima climbed in carefully and shut off the light, the only interruption of the darkness a warm glow from the streetlamp outside.

**AN: AND we are officially nearly back on track! I will try to keep doing these regular uploads like you all asked, thanks for your feedback! It's so nice to hear that some of you look forward to reading on a morning with your coffee and such! It's same for my but with your lovely reviews! This chapter is dedicated to ****_lucky_****, whose birthday it is today, my trusty beta who reads anything I write and has a feels attack and tells me it's great, even when it's really not. So thanks. Also, I now have a cophineonthescene tumblr, where you can all come and say hi, so please do so! Oh yeah, can anyone guess which film I watched to get my only San Francisco knowledge from? Whoever guesses it I will write you in the AN next time!.A bientot!**


	17. Chapter 17

Mellow music filled Delphine's ears, and she opened her eyes slowly, her hair spread over the pillow all around her head. She checked the alarm clock - 08.30. She groaned and stretched out like a lazy cat, tilting her head on the pillow to see Cosima's eyes still restfully shut. The music didn't seem to have woken her up.

"Cosima..." She whispered, nudging her.

"Ughhhhhhhhh," Cosima groaned loudly, pulling the duvet over her head.

Delphine laughed a little, and pulled it back, pushing her shoulder.

"Haven't we got school today?" She asked, wondering why they woke up so late.

"Yeah," Cosima mumbled, eyes still closed.

"What time does it start?"

Cosima squinted, one eye open to see the time. Her vision was blurry without the glasses. "In like, 15 minutes." She murmured.

Delphine sat bolt upright. The smell of warm pancakes had begun to waft up the stairs and into the room, making Cosima's stomach grumble.

"Quinze minute?" She exclaimed, running a hand through her wavy hair.

"Yeah, don't worry about it, I usually make it." She said coolly, finally sitting up and swinging her legs out of the warmth of her bed."Oh! You can meet mom!"

Cosima pulled Delphine up by the hand, and plodded heavily down the stairs, rubbing her eyes with her fists.

"Hey, Mom." Cosima said, smiling as she saw her mother.

"Oh! Cosima! Come here, nugget," Her mom said, turning away from the pan which hissed on the stove, hugging her daughter so her tiptoes left the floor.

"I missed you," Cosima mumbled, her mouth muffled in her mom's jumper.

"I missed you too!" She said, kissing her on the forehead.

"And this is Delphine..!" Cosima said, holding out an arm by way of introduction.

"Delphine! Oh, it's lovely to meet you." She said warmly, shaking her hand. "Cosima never stops talking about you..!"

"Mom..!" Cosima said, the lightest blush creeping onto her olive skin.

"Sorry! Sorry. Anyway, I made breakfast for you both." She checked her watch. "And I see Cosima's got you involved in her mad morning rush, has she? Well good luck with that!. Here,"

She flipped two pancakes onto their plates and covered them in maple syrup.

"Mom's Canadian. _So's_ her sister, so _so_ is Alison, _so_ we basically live off this stuff." Cosima teased, her eyes sparkling mischeviously.

"Hey, enough of the stereotypes, madam." Her mom warned fondly.

"Okay, Delphine. Just do what I do." Cosima warned, rolling up her pancake and stuffing it into her mouth.

Delphine watched in horror as Cosima struggled to chew, watching Delphine expectantly. This was so different to the hour long breakfasts she shared with her family back in Paris.

She rolled the pancake as delicately as she could, and folded it into her mouth, maple syrup trickling from her lips. But, before she had time to protest, Cosima had grabbed her wrist and was ushering her to the stairs.

"Merci, Mrs Niehaus" She mumbled, as politely as was possible with a full mouth.

She laughed fondly, and turned to finish up in the kitchen. Delphine was in for a ride all right.

"Okay, I'll go here, you go up, 5 minutes each. Go!" Cosima said, disappearing into the bathroom.

Delphine jogged up the stairs, hot in her flannel pyjamas; the air was already thick and hinted at another hot day. She quickly emptied her suitcase, pulling out a white vest top, denim shorts and low-cut sneakers. She hoped she would fit in alright. She had only seen a few American high school movies and regretted it as she pulled the vest top over her head, jumped into her shorts and stamped her sneakers onto her feet.

Cosima ran up the stairs, and held a hand out for a high 5, grinning.

"Ready? Go!" She encouraged, a fleeting high 5 slapping as they passed each other.

Delphine laughed as she ran down the stairs, did Cosima take this for a game?! It reminded Delphine of tag team or a relay race as she flung open the bathroom door and began to brush her teeth vigorously. She splashed cold water onto her face, it beaded in her eyebrows and dripped from the straggly pieces of hair around her cheeks. She pulled a comb through her thick wavy hair and dried her face on a towel.

As soon as she stepped out of the door, Cosima grabbed her hand again and they ran towards the front door.

"Come on! It's okay, I got your bag." She breathed, her eyes lit up as she dragged a bewildered Delphine out of the door.

"Bye Mom!" She called back.

"Goodbye!" Delphine said before she was whisked out into the draughty hall.

"Okay, I usually take the pole, it's way faster. Is that okay?" Cosima asked hopefully, gesturing to the tall fireman's pole which must cut out at least 3 flights of stairs.

"Um-yes, it's fine." She said unsurely. She guessed it must be the extension of the pole in Cosima's room, just much, much longer.

"Okay, cool." Cosima said, handing Delphine her satchel and sliding down quickly.

Delphine watched as she jumped lightly down at the bottom, and assured herself she would be fine.

She wrapped her legs around the metal and slid down jerkily, her hands sticking uncomfortably, the metallic smell rubbed off onto them.

"Okay, come on, you did great!" Cosima said, running out of the apartment. She checked her watch. "Okay, 2 minutes to go! Shortcuts it is. Follow me."

Delphine gripped Cosima's hand as they ran down an alleyway, dodging the trash cans left out at people's back doors. They jumped over a small wall, and Delphine was sure that they were in someone's back garden at one point. Still, she followed Cosima blindly, sweating as they ran in the blinding sunlight. They ran down one more backstreet, not slowing for a moment, a large building looming into view.

They sprinted up to the railings, just as an old-ish man was sliding them closed.

"Made it again, Niehaus." The man said, shaking his head and laughing.

"Yeah, you know me Arnie." She said, grinning unashamedly.

They walked into the yard, students filing in through the doors in huge crowds, pushing each other angrily as they got more and more squashed. Delphine watched, taken aback.

"Well, welcome to Grove High School. Otherwise affectionately known as Hell, by many of its inhabitants."

Delphine laughed, and rolled her eyes.

"It can't be that bad." She said skeptically.

Cosima led them through the doors once the crowds had died down, and checked her timetable.

"Mmmm, oh, yeah- we have...Classics." She deciphered from the scrumpled, torn piece of paper in her hands.

"Classics? Interessant. I have been studying science only for far too long." Delphine admitted. She was looking forward to something a little less...factual. Myth and legend interested her; it was the complete opposite of finding evidence for everything, like she was so used to doing.

Cosima led them up the stairs, and steered Delphine in the right direction as she navigated the labyrinth of corridors. Cosima's school seemed newer than Delphine's, and she tried to keep her head down as children gawped at them from the glass-walled IT classrooms.

"Here it is." Cosima said, pushing the door open confidently. She took the table of two seats in the middle of the classroom, on the left. Delphine sat beside her gingerly.

She sat with her hands on her bare knees beneath the desk, wishing she had worn something a little more...her. It wasn't that she didn't fit in, she looked glamorous and trendy, she just felt a little self-conscious.

She compared herself against Cosima's outfit - a Aztec patterned crop top with frayed denim shorts and black heeled ankle boots. She wondered incredulously how she had run all that way in those shoes.

Cosima caught her looking unsure and embarassed, her shoulders slumped down, her hair covering her face.

"Hey, what's wrong?" She asked kindly.

"Oh! Nothing, I am just worried - as you were - about fitting in." She admitted.

Cosima smiled.

"Delphine, how could you not fit in? That outfit is so cute, I forgot to say. Honestly, you're rocking it, you'll be fine." Cosima said truthfully, realising how much different she actually looked.

"Thank you, Cosima. You look jolie also. You 'rock' that outfit too." She laughed.

Cosima smiled, hanging her head a little before looking back up at Delphine.

The door opened again, and a girl walked in briskly, her head held high, her shoulders thrown backwards in a kind of dignified confidence. She made her way towards her desk out of habit, before realising someone was sat in her seat.

"Oh!" She exclaimed, rushing over to Cosima, holding her hands to her cheeks.

She kneeled in front of their table, her eyes burning with excitement. She had a thin fringe covering her forehead, her hair tied up in a ponytail. She wore a light pink jumper with dark blue jeans and penny loafers. Delphine guessed this must be Alison.

"Cosima!" She exclaimed, grabbing her cheeks and pressing their foreheads together. "How are you, honey?"

"I'm great, Ali. I missed you!" She said, chucking her cheeks.

"I missed you too. It's been really horrible here without you, you know. I had to...mingle." She shuddered. "Did you have a nice vacation?"

"Yeah," Cosima grinned. "It was really great,"

Cosima made to introduce her to Delphine, before Alison did it for herself.

"Delphine!" Alison exclaimed, shaking her hand vehemently. She looked even shorter from where she kneeled on the ground, but she didn't seem aware. "Hello honey, I'm Alison, Cosima's cousin? She's told me a lot about you. I hope she behaved herself in Paris!"

Cosima's mouth dropped open, her eyebrows raised at her cousin's betrayal. Delphine smiled, bewildered as her hand was shaken up and down.

"Enchanté, Alison. Yes, Cosima has told me a lot about you, also. It is lovely to meet you. And yes, she was quite naughty, if I am honest." She joked, with a completely straight face. "She's very cheeky, this girl."

Alison raised her eyebrows disapprovingly to her cousin, releasing Delphine's hand finally.

"Is this true, Cosima?" She asked sternly.

"Of course not," Cosima sighed, rolling her eyes.

"I'm so sorry on her behalf, Delphine." Alison confided. "I know very well how she can be at times. And I think we should overlook the fact that she just called you a liar, she is sometimes a little...unfiltered."

Cosima's mouth gaped, Delphine trying her hardest not to burst out laughing. She went along with Alison's disappointment, shaking her head in agreement with the accusations.

"Right, that is enough, you two! Delphine, I expected better from you. Alison, must I remind you again that you are not my mother, I already have one of those, and I have work to do."

Alison looked mildly offended, but shot Delphine a comforting smile before she left them alone. Delphine burst out laughing as Cosima scrawled the date onto some lined paper.

"You!" She whispered, smirking. "She does not need encouraging, trust me!"

"But it was so funny, I could not resist." She sniggered behind her hand.

Alison walked uneasily over to the only free desk, beside a girl with perfectly straight, dark hair. She fidgeted as she asked if the seat was free.

"Oh, yeah, it's free, sure." The girl said, moving her books to her side of the desk a little stiffly. She glanced up at Alison briefly as she spoke, averting her gaze back down to her empty page.

Alison sat and pulled out her folders and books from her bag. She had never even spoken to Beth Childs before, who had only just transferred this semester, and seemed to keep herself to herself. Alison had heard about how many races she'd won - all over the country, and how she had been elected captain of the athletics team. She was well respected, and kinda feared by everybody, driven and focused on anything she did.

Cosima watched curiously as her cousin tried to make conversation with the new girl, who seemed to be uncomfortable doing so. Her thoughts were interrupted as the door opened again, and Cosima's teacher walked in.

**AN: I have been writing quite a lot lately, and I thought y'all deserved another chapter! Thank you endlesslyconfused, who assumed correctly that my SanFran influences have all come from Princess Diaries. Who says I don't do method writing? And oh gosh, that guest review: _awesome i just had pizza yesterday but this has made me want it again ._ thank you so much, I was laughing for way too long at this. this is exactly the kind of thing i like to hear and inspire. do tell me more hahahaa. tbh i had a pain au chocolat this morning, must be Delphine's influence. thank you also to _beforethecloneapocalypse_, an actual french person! that's way cool, and your review was appreciated :D and _spooklamgleek_(i see what you did there) for still reading! i read your reviews as soon as i get up, and my 15 minute morning run (yes that was inspired by me) is sometimes a little faster when i'm happy, so thanks for helping me to have still not missed the bus this year. see, greater good. influencing my life. ahaha. ANYway, MORE CLONES TO COME im so excited for you to read it, we've got all ur favs in there, fun. ANDDD a possible halloween speciallllll oooohhh! last day of term tomorrow, so loadsa fic time for all. woop! hope you enjoyed!**

**oh yeah and come all ye to cophineonthescene .tumblr .com , nothing much is happening there yet, with my 2 followers, so come and say hi!**

**these ANs are longer than the actual story**


	18. Chapter 18

Her thoughts were interrupted as the door opened again, and Cosima's teacher walked in.

Delphine made to stand up automatically, and was so thankful that Cosima for grabbed her wrist in time. She smiled at her gratefully.

"Okay, hello everybody." He announced, placing his armful of folders down onto his desk. "I see we have a couple of new faces in the crowd today. My name is Mr Brewst, and I'm the Classical Studies teacher here at Grove High. Cosima, would you like to introduce us to your buddy first?"

Cosima agreed, not letting her reluctance show. She knew Delphine wouldn't like this.

"Um-yeah, okay everyone, this is Delphine, she's from Paris." Cosima said quickly.

Everyone turned in their seats to stare at Delphine, smiling only when she caught their eye. She blushed painfully, the blood pounding so hard in her ears that she couldn't think.

"Okay, okay, face the front,"He warned.

Jennifer Fitzsimmons introduced her friend to the class, one of Delphine's school mates. They smiled at each other comfortingly. It was nice to have someone from home to ground each other.

"Oi oi," A boy whispered from the back row, throwing a paper ball at the back of Cosima's head. She turned around to see Felix grinning smugly, leaning back in his chair, his feet on the table. His sister sat with the hood of her checked blue and black hoodie over her head, her headphones planted firmly in her ears.

"She's hot!" He mouthed, gesturing to Delphine, giving her a thumbs up.

Cosima rolled her eyes and laughed, sticking a finger up as she turned around.

"Okay, so I'm gonna go round the class, and I want each of you to introduce yourselves - say your name, and then... something about yourself. Just to make the new guys feel a bit more welcome. I want you all to make sure you help them out if you see them round, okay?"

A synical snort of laughter drew the teacher's attention to the back row.

"Okay, Miss Manning, why don't you start for us then?" He said, his eyebrows raised.

Felix snickered behind his hand, before his sister elbowed him roughly.

"I'm not doing this shit." She growled, crossing her arms defiantly.

"Sarah Manning and Felix Dawkins, pleasure to meet your acquaintance," Felix said, winking at Delphine obviously.

She blushed, hard, and turned back around in her seat.

"Yes, okay, um, next? We'll go anti-clockwise around the room."

The girl sat in front of Sarah and Felix turned around, then stared at the teacher, wondering if he was referring to her. Her frizzy blonde hair exploded around her face, her pale skin accentuating the red bags beneath her eyes.

"Helena." She mumbled, between mouthfuls of food, not expanding past that enlightening information.

Cosima laughed a little, thinking how bewildered Delphine must be.

"Jennifer Fitzsimmons - and, I'm a swimmer." She said brightly. Her hair was in a long ponytail, curled at the bottom, a baggy lilac vest top shrouding her athletic figure. She had broad, swimmer's shoulders and lightly defined arm muscles, and a kind smile. Cosima had known her since they were way small.

Beth huffed a little, everyone already knew all this stuff about each other, it was pointless.

"Beth Childs. Athletics team captain." She drawled.

"Hello, my name is Alison Hendrix. I love theatre, and, my boyfriend Donnie," She said twirling hair from her ponytail between her fingers.

Cosima covered her face with her hands in despair, shaking her head. Delphine too found the characters of the class amusing, but she didn't feel in a position to show it.

"Cosima Niehaus, future evolutionary developmental biologist." She said, aware of how ridiculous that must sound.

However, the class weren't bothered by anyone's statements, most of them had been together since freshman year, and they all knew each other like a family. A crazy, dysfunctional, but fiercely protective family.

"Okay, thank you class. So, girls, if you're ever lost and you see one of these brilliant people," He said sarcastically. "they will be more than happy to help. Right guys?"

Jennifer and Alison nodded enthusiastically, the rest of the class seemingly dormant. Sarah yawned from the back row, and Helena rested her head in her hands, her fingers dragging down from her eyes.

" Right, today we'll be starting the new topic of...Zeus and Leda, the story of the Swan." Mr Brewst announced. "Does anybody know anything at all about this myth before we start. Anyone?"

Alison strained to extend her arm in the air, extending her fingers as far as they would go.

Mr Brewst tried to overlook her; she answered every question, every class. Helena, who never usually spoke a word, mumbled something matter-of-factly.

"Yes...Helena?" He asked. Everyone in the class turned around incredulously.

They filed out of the classroom, bubbling chatter starting as soon as they had left the door. They all returned to their out-of-class selves, Sarah and Felix attaching themselves to each other, Helena tagging along sulkily, Beth striding quickly away from the rest of the group, and Alison scurrying to catch up with Cosima.

"Who knew Helena knew so much about, well anything?" Cosima mused to her cousin.

Alison exhaled, nodding in agreement. She had pre-revised the topic and had wanted to impress the class with her knowledge.

"Yes, she can sometimes be quite surprising." She admitted. "Do you have a class now, Cosima?"

"Pfft, yeah. Biology." She nodded, her dreadlocks bouncing.

"Okay, well I'll meet back up with you later, I have Drama. Bye!" She said, hurrying to her next lesson.

Delphine and Cosima jogged down the stairs, discussing the charismatic members of Cosima's Classics class.

"So, you are friends with all of them?" She asked curiously.

"Uh, n-well yeah, we all have this kinda weird...connection. We've all known each other for years, and there's quite a lot of family in there already so they're instantly close anyway. I mean, Felix and Sarah, foster brother and sister, moved here from England when they were like, 12. Helena is actually Sarah's twin, she went on some crazy journey of self discovery to find her lost family, and came out with finding that out. So she moved here from Ukraine. I know, you couldn't make it up, could you? So yeah, that's how that goes. And then there's me and Alison, and Jennifer was my best friend in elementary school. But Beth, no one really knows about her yet. She's the new kid."

Delphine exhaled, her eyebrows raised.

"Whew, they all have quite a story then, non?"

Cosima laughed.

"Haha- yeah. We're all a bunch'a weirdos, to be honest."

"Come on, Biology's just down here." Cosima grinned, leading Delphine down another corridor. As they turned the corner, she instantly regretted it.

A girl with a perfectly cut strawberry blonde bob noticed Cosima, her eyes lighting up with unmistakable malice. She was walking in the middle of two taller boys, who seemed to walk at exactly the same pace.

"Oh, hello Cosima." She said, with a false smile.

"Don't Rachel..." Cosima mumbled, trying to walk the opposite way.

"Now now Cosima. Aren't you going to introduce me to...hmm... Is this your new girlfriend?" She mocked, with a completely solemn face.

"Come on, Delphine." Cosima murmured, ushering them back the way they came, an angry redness flooding across her face, up to her ears.

Rachel Duncan had been such a weakness for Cosima for too long. Any tiny malicious thing she said got to her more than anyone else. Maybe it was something about her cold, unfeeling eyes, or the way she never even seemed to have emotion herself. It made it so much easier for her to take advantage of sensitive people, like Cosima. Why Rachel had ever singled out her in the first place, Cosima couldn't remember or fathom.

"Oh, what's wrong Cosima? What's the problem? You're embarrassed, is that it?" She shouted down the corridor.

Cosima turned on her heel and faced the girl, her eyes filled with fury and suppressed tears. An uncomfortable lump rose in her throat, but she forced her voice not to tremble as she countered her.

"Leave. Us. Alone, Rachel." She said, with as much confidence as she could muster.

She tilted her head, smiling a little.

"Oh, so there is an us. I thought as much."

Cosima's jaw trembled. She wanted so much to slap her around the face, but a hand on her shoulder grounded her.

"Allez Cosima, elle est une gaspille de temps." She comforted.

"_Come on Cosima, she is a waste of time."_

Rachel averted her predatory gaze to Delphine, incredulous.

"Classy. Speaking about me in your mother tongue. Nice. So, has she told you?" She pressed, her expression poisonous.

"Told me what," Delphine drew herself up taller, making sure she looked down at the girl, who was much shorter than she was.

"That she's gay?" She whispered, her eyes sparkling.

Delphine felt a pang of disappointment. Had Cosima been keeping this from her? Then she told herself to not believe a word this girl said. She wondered if she had been a bother to Cosima for a long time.

"That is nothing to do with me or you. Leave her alone." Delphine said defiantly. She was new, this girl was no threat to her. "Come on, Cosima."

Delphine steered them away, leaving Rachel gobsmacked. Cosima held back her emotions until she was out of sight of Rachel. She had ruined everything. This wasn't how she wanted Delphine to find out.

"She bothering you, Cos?" Sarah shouted as she passed them in the corridor. The tears sliding down Cosima's cheeks were enough to confirm her question. "Oi, Rachel!" The girl shouted, with fierce protectiveness. "Give her trouble again and I'll kick your sorry arse."

"Shut up, Sarah." She replied impatiently, strutting away, flanked by her two 'bodyguards'.

Cosima ran away from Delphine, tears streaming down her cheeks. She ignored Delphine's attempts to stop her, knowing she would catch her up anyway. She gave up, and slung her bag onto a bench, covering her face with her hands.

"Cosima," Delphine said gently, "It's okay. I don't listen to what that girl says. If it is true, it does not make any difference to me."

Cosima choked uncomfortably, the lump in her throat making it uncomfortable to swallow.

"It's not that, it's just, why did she have to ruin it? That's not how I wanted you to find out." She said, her words muffled as she hid her embarassment.

"Hey, hey." She soothed, putting an arm around her shaking shoulders. "It's okay, it's okay. Awh, Cosima, come here."

Cosima looked up at her with watery eyes, her usually perfect eyeliner dribbling down her cheeks in black tracks. She allowed Delphine to hug her closely, disappointed at how pathetic she must look.

"Why did you never tell me?" She asked softly, her breath tingling Cosima's skin before she pulled away, a look of mild curiousness in her eyes.

"I thought I didn't have to," Cosima whispered truthfully.

"Of course you didn't, like I said, it doesn't matter. But now we have both shared secrets, and they have both hurt us, yes? These things just bring us closer, okay?" Delphine smiled sadly.

Cosima smiled back weakly.

"You're the best friend I ever had, Delphine." She whispered, Delphine wiping away the black stains from her cheeks with a thumb.

"Ditto." Delphine said, widening her eyes. "Obvs,"

Cosima gave a watery laugh, taking off her glasses and drying her eyes.

"Where did you get that from?"

"You!" She laughed. "You write in shorthand all the time. I have learnt a lot from your letters."

"God, do I? Bet they were pretty hard to understand, then." She smiled.

"No, I got used to it." Delphine admitted. "And, Cosima? Don't worry about this Rachel. She is poison, vraiment. She will be working for you one day, when you are a _ground-breaking scientist_." She comforted, tapping Cosima's temple as to insinuate her intelligence.

Cosima laughed quietly; Delphine's words were more than a little comforting. High School had become so much harder for her lately.

"Thanks," She murmured, nudging her affectionately with her shoulder.

"Come on, lets go to that Biology lesson. Act like it never happened. You can't let her think she got to you - I know girls like her. She is a scavenger, if she thinks you are weak, she will pick you out. We will get back at her, okay? Show her we're not intimidated by her." Delphine pepped, clenching a fist with determination. Her raised heartbeat may have something to do with her anger.

"Yeah, okay then." Cosima said, her nodding more agreeable than how she felt inside. She wanted to get as far away from that bitch as possible.

**AN: Hurt/Comfort to the max, I know. Rachel angst is so scary to write! I'm really enjoying writing more of the clones into it though, it's sooo fun! I will try for more SoccerCop seeing as though you're all asking for more of that (I knew this would happen!) I am going away for a few days, so uploading might be slow or non-existent, though i will probably jump from one wifi coffee shop to the next if I can! I'll hopefully get the halloween spesh up before/on halloween for you guys though. Thanks for the support! Leave your witty reviews as always, chums. Merci!**


	19. Chapter 19

They made their way back to Biology, and Cosima was hoping that that wasn't an awkward silence developing between the two. Maybe she should have told Delphine before, but she felt that it wasn't something she needed to know, and was scared it would come between them.

They walked into the lab classroom confidently, mumbling a 'sorry we're late' to Cosima's teacher, Professor Duncan. She wondered if he would be interested whether she could blame it all on his daughter, his precious Rachel.

"No, no, come in Cosima. We couldn't start the lesson without our evolutionary development specialist now, could we?"

Cosima smiled gratefully, and they made their way to the back table where Scott was sat awkwardly grinning. Rachel glowered at them as they passed her desk, slightly smug that she had got to Cosima. She wished her father would stop praising her constantly, just because she hadn't exactly inherited his genius. She wondered whether Cosima would have been his perfect daughter instead.

"Hey!" Scott waved from across the table, as Cosima avoided her usual seat beside him and sat next to Delphine.

"Hey, Scotty." Cosima smiled weakly.

Her cheeks burned again as she thought about the situation, thinking that it was so bad, she wondered if it had actually happened. She sought solace in Delphine's optimistic smile.

"Okay, everybody. Labcoats and goggles for all, it's our practical lesson today." Professor Duncan said quietly, though authoritatively.

Cosima went to grab 3 labcoats, and passed them to Scott and Delphine. Cosima rolled the sleeves up on hers; they were always way too big for her. Delphine shrugged her labcoat on, and tied her hair up in a low ponytail, loose curls springing out beside her ears. Cosima put her glasses on her head, and squinted a little behind the goggles.

The flasks of enzyme and water were set out in front of them, the sheet of instructions the only help they would get. Seeing as though Delphine and Cosima seemed to be glued together, Scott guessed he would work alone.

"Okay." Delphine said determinedly as she tried to decipher the instructions. She squinted at the sheet and mumbled something under her breath as she read.

Cosima read it too, and began to add some substance to another.

"She is quick, this one." Delphine said, indirectly to Cosima.

Cosima grinned, without taking her eyes from the experiment. She was focused like that. She finished stirring the mixture and handed it to Delphine.

"Okayyy, you take - that, and I will-"

"Can you pass me the peepette?" She asked nonchalantly.

"Peepette?" Cosima laughed. "It sounds even cuter when you say it like that. Yes, I can pass you the pipette."

Delphine sulked jokingly, and got back to the work. She squeezed her forefinger and thumb together, the viscous liquid shooting up the pipe. She dropped it slowly into the water, watching as small beads formed on the bottom of the beaker.

"Okay, now we can chill for like, 5 minutes. We have to wait for them to solidify, right Scott?"

"Right! Yeah," He said quickly, starting his timer.

Rachel was working on her own at the front of the class, Professor Duncan going round to each table to check they were on the right tracks.

"Is everything alright, dear?" He asked his daughter gently, as she sat looking glum, her timer counting the seconds down.

"Yes, father." She said impatiently, meeting his eyeline.

She looked over her shoulder, and saw Cosima sat on the workbench, laughing with Delphine who stood close to her, their attention obviously diverted from the experiment. Cosima giggled, her head hung, her eyes looking up at Delphine's. A pang of jealousy sprang into her stomach as she compared this to her own empty desk, but she thought she would grasp the moment.

"Oh! Father," She said as he walked away. He turned on his heel gladly, and smiled. "I don't think Cosima looks very safe sitting up there, and oh! They don't seem to be paying much attention to their experiment. Something could go wrong." She feigned innocence, raising her eyebrows and pouting a little.

"Yes, you are quite right, my dear. Always having the concerns of others first and foremost." He said proudly, before striding over to Cosima's table.

"Cosima, perhaps you shouldn't sit up there, my child. Oh! See, your timer is nearly up. Let's see the result," He said excitedly.

Rachel seethed as she saw Cosima jump down from the counter happily, Delphine showing him their results. They emptied the beaker through a sieve, and tens of perfectly formed beads of enzyme rolled out. His face lit up with excitement, which only science seemed to bring.

"Well done!" He exclaimed. "See everyone, Cosima and her friend were finished first, if you would like to see a - quite frankly perfect - result, come and have a peek over here."

Rachel saw that her experiment wasn't working out too well, and the timer had counted down. She emptied the liquid into the sieve, only one or two beads caught. She quickly poured them back into the liquid, and left the beaker on the side of the desk precariously, just as Cosima squeezed past - conveniently.

The beaker slid off the desk, landing on the hard floor with a smash. Cosima gasped, her hands flying to her mouth.

"Ohmygosh, Rachel I'm so sorry." She said, knowing exactly what she had let herself in for.

"You clumsy idiot!" She spat, though her eyes seemed to sparkle.

"Rachel, I'm so sorry, honestly, I didn't-"

"Oh, Cosima." Professor Duncan sighed. "Well, accidents happen. I was just about to come and see your result, Rachel, but, well, I can see it now."

Cosima went to get something to clean up the mess, but he stopped her.

"Don't worry yourself with that, Cosima. I don't want you getting hurt by all that glass. I'll have someone clear it up after the lesson." He smiled kindly. "Okay, everyone. You may go - avoid this area."

The class filed out quickly, hanging up their labcoats on the way out. Cosima attempted to avoid Rachel at any cost, almost abandoning Delphine with her anticipation. She dragged Delphine quickly down the corridor, Rachel hot on her trail.

They ran through the doors into the back stairs, jogging down them rapidly.

"Cosima," Rachel said as she slunk through the door. Cosima's heart lurched as she heard the cold voice. "What happened back there, don't worry about it. I simply forgive you, okay? But humiliate me like that in front of my father again, and maybe next time Felix won't make it _out_ of his next gym lesson."

She passed them on the stairs, addressing them from 2 or 3 below.

Cosima cringed. She remembered how Rachel had got her 'bodyguard boy toys' to wait for Felix in the locker rooms last year. It was the first time she had ever seen him cry. He was usually so sarcy and witty, but she had seen him broken. And why they did it? Because Sarah had somehow offended Rachel. She fought dirty.

"Rachel." She said defiantly. "Take this out on me, whatever, but don't go anywhere near my friends."

Rachel smiled over her shoulder as she walked away.

"Oh, but what would be the fun in that?"

"Goodness me." Delphine breathed when she was sure she was gone. "She is some piece of work."

"Uh-huh." Cosima agreed slowly, passing a hand over her forehead. She shook her head, forcing herself to snap out of it and ignore Rachel's cowardly threats. "Right. Let's forget about her. You hungry? We can go and meet everyone in the cafeteria if you want."

"Yes, that would be okay. I like your friends, they seem...funny." She smiled.

"Okay, then that's what we'll do," She said, letting a smile form on her lips, trying to shake off her thoughts of Rachel. They took the stairs down, taking a shortcut down the technology corridor to reach the cafeteria.

"Hey bitches, we're here." Cosima sang, swaggering as she did over to their usual table.

As per, Helena was already devouring a heaped plate of food, pouring a stream of sugar over a bowl of green jelly. Felix watched her disgustedly as she produced a packet of uncooked noodles from her bag and added it to her plate. She crunched through the block of noodles, stuffing more jelly in her mouth simultaneously with a spoon.

Cosima steered them both over to the spare seats next to Alison, which both had all of Alison's possessions strewn over them. She took her things back as they sat down.

"You can never be too careful. Some people still don't know this is our table." Alison sighed.

Cosima sat beside her cousin, opposite Delphine; Jennifer's French buddy, Marion took the next seat but one from Delphine, Jennifer sitting beside Alison. Alison stared at the empty seat in front of her; where was Donnie when she needed him to fill a space?!

"Delphine!" Marion exclaimed, ignoring the plate of ketchup covered fries in front of her. "ça va? tu pense quoi des Etats Unis?"

_"How are you? What do you think of America?"_

"Oui, je suis bien! C'est different, ouais, mais passionant, tu es d'accord? Qu'est-ce que tu as fait jusqu'ici?" She said, in a bubbly kind of way. It was great to speak French again, to someone she was so used to.

_"Yes, I am great! It's different, yeah, but exciting, don't you think? What have you done so far?"_

"Ouais, très different!" She agreed. "Mais cette matin, nous sommes allé a la piscine, Jennifer voulait me montrer parce qu'elle entraîne là tous les jours. Mais elle a pris un jour libre today! Tu as fait quoi?"

_"Yeah, very different! But this morning, we went to the swimming pool, Jennifer wanted to show me because she trains there every day. But she took a day off today. What have you done?"_

"Nous avons dormi cette matin pour etre honnete! Mais college a été tres interessant, quoi? Tres relaxé, pas comme notre lycée!"

"_We slept in this morning to be honest! But school has been interesting, hasn't it? Very relaxed, not like our college!"_

"Oui," Marion agreed whole-heartedly, widening her eyes.

Cosima and Jennifer smiled at each other, over-hearing the two relay their experiences. They understood what they were saying, but didn't want to pry.

"How's the Olympic training going, Jenny?"Cosima asked, leaning over the table.

Jennifer smiled, she loved people to take an interest in her swimming, and Cosima had always come to watch her galas when they were younger. They had been best friends in elementary school, but had kinda lost touch when they started taking different classes. But they always had that connection, and they were both grateful for that. Jennifer generally hung around with anyone in 'the group', and flitted about with anyone who wanted to talk to her, but her swimming was the most important thing in her life, and when she wasn't at school, she was at the pool.

"It's going great, thanks Cosima!" She said happily. "I'm getting used to the 5am starts again. They really think I've got a chance, next year maybe!"

Cosima grinned, biting into an apple.

"That's amazing, way cool Jenny. Man, that would be something. Make sure you save me a front seat though, yeah?"  
>Jennifer twirled a fork in her salad and beamed across at her friend.<p>

"Yeah, of course!"

Alison was distracted by the empty seat in front of her, but Sarah had already sat beside Felix, and there was no one else to come. She could see across the row of 3 long tables in front of her, suddenly noticing Beth sitting alone, un-scrunching the top of her paper bag, and pulling out a sandwich. Though she didn't look exactly inviting, Alison felt sorry for her, and thought she would try to make friends.

"Elizabeth!" She shouted over, waving frantically. "Elizabeth! Come sit here!"

Beth looked up slowly, stopping mid-chew. Was that drama freak talking to her?!This was embarrassing. She would lose her reputation if anyone saw this. She snatched up her bag and stormed over to their table to shut her up.

"Hendrix?" She asked. "It's Beth. And you want _me_ to sit on your weirdo table?"

"Oh!" Alison's smile broke. "Um, yes, well you don't have to. It was just an offer, Eli- I mean, Beth."

She sat down defiantly, speaking quietly.

"Just because I talked to you in class doesn't mean we're friends, okay?"

Alison nodded, disappointed, though she noticed that Beth did just sit down, and she didn't seem to be moving. She bit into her sandwich and noticed Cosima and Alison staring at her.

"What are you looking at?" She snapped.

"Nothing! Nothing," Alison said hurriedly, averting her eyes to her yogurt, and eating the spoonful which she had held hovering in her hand for the past minute.

Cosima and Delphine smirked at each other from across the table; Beth was sat beside Delphine, so at least she didn't have to be terrified in case she looked at her the wrong way. Cosima tried to hide her smile from Beth, but her eyes were obviously creased at the sides.

Beth rolled her eyes at their immaturity, and took a long swig from a sports water bottle. She adjusted her hair, and stood up, walking away with her shoulders back, throwing her empty lunch bag in the bin.

"Bye!" Alison called timidly.

"Ciao." She said, waving her hand dismissively.

**AN: Kinda sorry, kinda not sorry for not uploading, cause it's meant I've written a shed loaddd o' stuff to come. That little holiday was a good cleanse and a good muse for me, I think. I got a lot of stuff down. Plus I had no wifi. SoccerCop makes me laughhhh. It is fun-ny! And who feels sorry for Rachel? Anyone? Let me know. Talk about a misunderstood villain, right? Aw, and JFitz seems like such a good egg, wish we could have known her a bit more. Ahhh Halloween is soon, and I'm confident we'll have that up soon. What's everyone being for Halloween? Do tell! I'm being a certain killer clone... excited! Thanks again guys, don't worry those of you who want more fluff, it is to come. I'm just having so much fun writing the clones that I'm forgetting why we're all here. Fluff and more Cophine fluff. I'll get on it. **


	20. Chapter 20

Cosima and Delphine walked out of the gates, the air comfortably warm on their bare skin. Delphine's white vest top hung low beneath her arms, the Californian sun tanning her shoulders lightly.

"Cosima! Cosima!" Alison breathed as she jogged up behind them. "Would I be able to come to yours tonight? Mom's had to go back to Scarborough to look after her friend who just got sick, and I don't really want to stay in on my own..."

"Yeah! Oh, yeah of course, Ali. You don't have to ask!"

"Oh, thanks Cosima. You're the best."She said quietly.

"What was that?" She teased.

"You heard, Cosima. I can't say it again." She sighed.

"Okay, okay. I'm the best, and we know it, right Delphine?" She nudged her with her elbow.

"Hey!" She protested. "And yes. You are."

Alison shook her head, the knuckle of her forefinger on her lips.

"Okay! Then I guess it's a pyjama party for 3 tonight!" She grinned, hooking an arm around each of their necks, pulling their faces in so they all walked lopsided.

They walked down wider streets this time, avoiding the alleyways and back gardens. Cosima's olive skin seemed to already be becoming darker. They laughed loudly, Cosima staggering as her sides ached.

They took the stairs up to Cosima's apartment, a little boy running past them.

"Woah! Hey, where's the fire?" Cosima joked, holding an arm out to grab him around the middle. He had dark skin and deep brown eyes which sparkled mischeviously when Cosima addressed him. "S'up lil dude?"

"Oh, hey Cosima," He drawled, embarrassed. "Hey Alison."

"What, you shy now or something?" She said, disbelievingly.

He looked up at Delphine, who seemed to stand about 8 feet taller than him, her perfect golden hair bouncing around her face.

"Hello, ma'am." He said to her bouncily, one hand behind his back, one hand stretched out to take hers.

"Hello," She shook his hand. "What is your name?"

"Emmanuel, what's yours?"

Cosima laughed quietly, he was such a charmer sometimes, but he had become like her little brother.

"Delphine."

"She's French." Cosima whispered in his ear.

Delphine laughed.

"It's true!" She whispered, nodding.

"Then, bonjour _madame_." He corrected himself, grinning cheekily.

"Okay, dude. We had a deal. Everytime we see each other, we do the 'shake, right?" Cosima reminded him.

He nodded, and Cosima bit her tongue between her teeth in concentration as they fist-bumped and spat their way through the routine.

"Okay, now you can go." She said, ruffling his short hair.

"Seeya round, Cos!" He shouted, jogging down the steps again.

Cosima pulled the jingling ring of keys from the bottom of her bag, and pushed the door open. Cosima's mom was there to welcome them this time. She was painting a canvas, propped on an easel. Delphine saw that it was covered with shells, and shapes of fossils, DNA helices and seed heads of flowers.

"You've brought the whole family, have you?" She said, as Alison followed in behind.

Cosima laughed, her mom said that_ every_ time she brought Alison home.

"I heard that your mom went to look after her friend back in Scarborough." She smiled. "Well, you're welcome here until she comes back, if that's what you want."

"Thanks Aunt Melanie," Alison said gratefully.

Cosima slung her bag down on the floor, swiftly copied by the other two.

"Sacred geometry?" Delphine observed, squinting as she scrutinised the painting.

Cosima's mother's curly hair was held up in a bun with a pencil, and she turned around, a paintbrush in her mouth.

"Yeah! Woah, Cosima. You've got a friend for life here." She exclaimed, impressed.

"It's fascinating, I just love the concept of this repeating pattern, it's science, but it's so...beautiful." She sighed, admiring the painting with her head cocked to one side.

Cosima smiled proudly, Alison dumbfounded. She didn't understand or have any interest in science or art, and felt a little...left out. She wasn't as intelligent as her cousin, but they had always got on well, she was always around to help when she flunked Chemistry tests or needed help with Biology.

"Okay, well I have another night shift tonight, so you'll have to have fun without me. Keep an eye on them, Delphine." She winked.

Delphine wasn't sure what she meant by that, but guessed maybe it was an idiom. Cosima laughed at her slight furrowed brow.

"It means, uh, you're in charge."

"Okay, yes. Then I will- keep an eye." She said, unsure.

The hours passed into the evening, and the sun set red against the blue sky. On the balcony, the smell of the city was warm and close, the heat settling on Delphine's skin like a blanket. She walked back inside, and saw Alison lying on the couch in pink and white gingham pyjamas, her hair tied up in a high ponytail. Cosima came down the staircase barefoot, in a pair of shorts and a baggy t-shirt. Some of her dreads were strewn over her shoulder, loose from her ponytail. Delphine went to their room and got changed into her pyjamas, meeting them back downstairs.

"Okay, spin the bottle, what do ya think?" Cosima grinned, coming back into the living room with 3 sleeping bags.

"Spin the bottle?" Delphine asked.

"It's like, truth or dare honey. You know?" Alison smiled, fidgeting with her fringe.

"Oh, yes, I think I know." She said slowly.

Cosima pulled out a bag of popcorn from the cupboard and poured it into a large bowl, finding an empty wine bottle from beside the kitchen sink to use for the game. She put it on the floor and lay down on her side on the rug, her eyes glinting excitedly. Alison sat beside her, cross legged, Delphine hugging her knees into her chest. Cosima had turned the lights down so the room had a warm-feel to it, candles flickering on the glass coffee table. A warm smell of incense had started to fill the room, Darwin the snake stirring lazily in the tank.

"Okay, imma go first." Cosima said, her eyes almost effervescent.

She traced a finger around the rim of the bottle to catch the drips, before spinning the bottle on the wooden floor. She sucked her finger nervously as they all watched to see where it would land.

The neck pointed towards Alison. She sighed, and ran a hand through her fringe, watching nervously as Cosima shuffled through the pile of cards, her tongue poking through her teeth mischeviously.

"Okay Hendrix, your call. Truth...or dare?" She smirked, waggling her eyebrows.

"Pfff," Alison huffed, rolling her eyes. "Oh, eff it. Dare."

Cosima grinned, dragging out the act of choosing a card for as long as she could.

"Oh, quit teasing me Cosima." She said uncomfortably.

Cosima took a blue card and read "Help your friend overcome...their worst fear."

Alison closed her eyes briefly, and sighed.

"Okay, okay. So what, do you choose my worst fear or do I tell you?" She asked.

Cosima answered her question by getting up and making her way to the snake tank.

"No. No Cosima." Alison said sternly. "Cosima!"

Cosima smirked as she lay the snake around her neck, bringing it over to her cousin.

"Just be calm Alison, or you'll scare him. If you stay calm, you'll both be fine."

"No, Cosima. Anything but that." She said, shutting her eyes tightly and holding a hand out to stop her coming any closer. "I'm scared of so many other things, like - like-" She stuttered, terrified. "like Chemistry, and high cholesterol and-and Beth Childs, and- Ainsley getting cast for Eliza Doolittle."

Delphine snickered quietly. Alison had been protesting for so long with her eyes shut that she hadn't realised that the snake was back in the tank and Cosima was washing her hands. She opened her eyes one at a time.

"Oh, very funny, Cosima."

"Wait, Alison. Did you say Beth Childs?" Cosima smirked.

"Wha- no, what are you talking about?" She denied. She realised that perhaps in her moment of sheer terror she had let out a little more truth than dare.

"You did."

"Okay, well maybe I did, but she's quite honestly terrifying! Don't you agree?"

Delphine nodded.

"Yes, I know what you mean." She said, remembering her own fear when Childs had sat next to her in the cafeteria.

Alison threw out a hand. "Thank you! See Cosima, Delphine agrees with me."

Cosima sniggered as she walked back over to the two sat on the floor.

"Okay, whatever." She compromised, picking up a handful of popcorn. "Alison. Are you ready? Catch!"

Alison strained to catch the popcorn, which ended with it hitting her in the eye.

"Delphine-"

Delphine jumped a little, but missed her mouth and got stuck in her hair.

"You're all rubbish!" Cosima teased. "Here, someone do me."

Delphine threw a kernel of popcorn somewhere near Cosima's head; she stretched out her neck and caught it in her mouth. Alison rolled her eyes and laughed as Cosima threw her arms up triumphantly.

"Okay, Delphine's turn." Alison said, working out the direction of the circle.

Delphine gripped the bottle, her nails the colour of the deep purple glass itself, and gave it a spin. It rocked a little as it slowed down, settling on Cosima. Her eyes glittered excitedly.

"Do we even need to ask?" Alison asked knowingly.

Cosima beamed widely and shook her head, confirming Alison's idea. She handed Delphine a dare card. Delphine took it, and laughed mischeviously.

"What? What is it?" Cosima asked, her face lit up.

"Hm-hm," She snickered. "Okay,you must tell the first person you see that you love them-"

"_Then_, Delphine Cormier. I love you," Cosima giggled. "That's gotta be the easiest dare ever."

Delphine chuckled and pushed her in the arm.

"No, cheeky. I hadn't finished. You must tell the first person you see that you love them, but -TWIST- you have to go out into the street." She said, throwing the card down.

Cosima groaned.

"Oh, god. Will the balcony do?" She asked, gesturing to her pyjamas.

Delphine and Alison conferred silently, narrowing their eyes. Delphine tilted her hear a little, insinuating she would let her off.

"Yes Cosima, the balcony will do." Alison said, excited to get her revenge.

Cosima padded over to the balcony, where the doors were open, and warm air blew the curtains into the apartment. She watched the empty street below her, leaning over the rails, hoping to the gods that it wouldn't be someone she knew.

A familiar looking glum figure slumped past the exit stairs to Cosima's apartment, the black and blue checked hood of their jacket thrown up over her head. Cosima's heart lurched, but she was never one to give up a dare.

"I love you!" She shouted to the lone figure, cringing already.

"Wha- Oh, hey Cosima." Sarah said, spotting her up on the balcony. "That confession for me?"

"Uh, yeah." She admitted, fiddling with a dreadlock.

"Oh, bloody hell Cos, you're not falling for me now are ya?" She laughed.

"God no!" She teased. "I can blame this all on Alison Hendrix and a wine bottle. Deduce from that what you will."

"Then I love ya too. You're crazy, geek monkey. Seeya." She said, shaking her head and walking off down the street.

"Seeya."

Cosima swaggered back into the apartment, where Alison and Delphine were sat; they had heard everything.

"Do I get extra points for a _requited_ love declaration?" She said, her tongue sticking out through her grin.

Alison shook her head and laughed disbelievingly.

"Only you would be so lucky, Cosima. What are the odds, huh?" She scoffed.

"Hey, just cause I'm popular," She protested, though she did agree that it was an incredible stroke of luck. It was as if someone had written the whole dare knowing it would work out like that...

Delphine met Cosima's eyes, which were sparkling with victory. She smiled, biting her lip out of habit. Cosima sat down and nudged her playfully.

Alison span the bottle next. Again, chance favoured them and it picked Delphine.

Delphine groaned, her eyes filled with dread. Alison shuffled the cards.

"I will choose...truth."

"Okay, aw this is a stereotypical one..." Alison said, a little boredly. "Have you ever kissed anyone?"

Cosima looked to Delphine, who was turning a shade of beetroot.

"No," She said simply, smiling as she shook her head.

Cosima's eyes widened, and Alison leaned forward a little.

"What do you mean, no?" She asked.

"No, I have never, that's it." She admitted.

Cosima blushed a little, and smiled at her.

"You mean, ever-" Alison pressed.

"Hey! Just cause you've been all over Donnie since you were like, 6." Cosima teased, diverting the attention from Delphine, who was sat with her arms looped around her knees.

"I have not!" Alison protested. "We were 8, actually. Then we split up until high school."

"Awh, was it a bad break up?"Cosima teased to Alison, who gave her an impatient glare.

"Have _you,_ Cosima?" Delphine asked spontaneously. They had made her feel like she was weird or something.

"Y-yeah." She admitted, her ears turning red. "And I kinda found some stuff out."

"Oh- yes, sorry." She blushed.

"Right, Alison. Enough with your cringy questions. I want another dare." Cosima said brightly, spinning the bottle.

They played into the night, Alison downing half a bottle of red wine in under 10 seconds, Cosima 's mouth covered in the lipstick a blind-folded Delphine had put on and Delphine's shirt soaked with the remains of the ice cubes Cosima had apologetically poured down her back.

Delphine changed into her spare pyjamas, and hung her icy shirt on the balcony to dry. Alison was out in a blissfully wined-up slumber, snoring quietly.

Cosima bundled herself in her sleeping bag, Delphine beside her. The room was dark, except for a single dim light in the passage. They lay in the dark, their faces tilted towards each other. Cosima was breathing deeply, her eyes closed, her cheek pressed against the pillow. Delphine trailed a fingertip down the bridge of her nose.

"Hey!" Cosima protested, opening her eyes, a smile pulling at her lips.

"I wanted to tell you something." She said quietly.

"And what would that be?"

"Je t'aime aussi." She said, smirking.

Cosima remembered her misunderstanding of Delphine's dare earlier, and smiled. She hit her playfully in the arm.

"Night, Delphine." She sighed.

"Bonne nuit,"

**AN: A PJ party for you guys before Halloween. It should be up tomorrow, but I can't promise anything, imma be partying in my alter ego tomorrow haha! Tbh I have only written half of it, but I will try my best. And I have a PIIIILE of work that I haven't even started on. Let me know what you thought of this, and thanks as always!**


	21. halloHALLOHALLOWEEN

The next morning, they all slumped off to their Classics lesson again, informed by Beth that Mr Brewst was going to be a few minutes late. Alison took the opportunity and stood at the front of the class, breathing in deeply, just as she did before acting in one of her musicals.

"Okay, everyone. I'm having a little get-together tomorrow for Halloween, and you're all invited." She looked at Beth briefly. "Strictly fancy dress. I want effort, okay? None of this, 'I didn't want to' or 'I didn't know what to be', right?" She fiddled with the cross pendant on her chest, moving it left and right on the chain.

"Will there be booze, Hendrix?" Felix smirked, cocking his head to one side.

"Yes, you can bring drinks, just as long as you don't trash my house, Felix." She said sternly. "Oh, and no +1s, because I'm going to have to invite my neighbours too, and I can't have too many people." She finished, sitting down.

"You never told me this, Alison." Cosima said from behind her. "And you're not inviting Aynsley, are you?"

Alison rolled her eyes, and huffed. "I've got no choice, Cosima. She probably knew I was having this party before I did, and Sarah Stubbs will have to come too. It's okay, they'll probably leave early anyway to tell their parents what Alison Hendrix has done now."

Cosima laughed fondly, before turning to Delphine.

"You wanna go?" She asked softly.

"Yes, okay. We don't celebrate 'alloween much in France, but I will go along with it." She smiled.

"Okay, we'll go costume shopping after school." She pepped, nudging her excitedly.

"You wanna take the tram? You can't say you've been to San Fran unless you've taken the tram." She said quickly.

Delphine's calves burned as they walked up the steep hill, and she decided to give in. A red tram was sailing up the hill, just about to pass them.

"Okay, are you ready to jump?"

"What? No!" She exclaimed, before Cosima whisked her towards the opening, where a metal pole stood in perfect face-smacking position. She gripped her hand tight, her multiple rings cold against Delphine's skin. Cosima hopped onto the tram, a tenacious grip on the pole. Delphine felt as if she were running 60mph, but knew the tram was moving pretty slowly. She looked down and saw her sneakered feet blurry against the moving road.

"Come on!" Cosima grinned, her face the only stationary object for Delphine to focus on. With a strong haul, Cosima helped to pull her into the car, grabbing her round the shoulders as she got on.

"There, we made it." She breathed, handing the driver a $5 bill for them both.

"Niehaus, what have I told you about jumping?" He said fondly.

"Sorry, Art." She said, offering a smile which she knew could get her let off with anything.

He glanced behind Cosima, and saw Delphine smiling sheepishly. It was nice to see Cosima with a friend that wasn't Scott for once.

Meanwhile, Alison sat at her kitchen table, Donnie fear-bound to his chair, ripping paper curls with the scissors.

"Donnie! Careful with those scissors, you're supposed to do it like this," She demonstrated impatiently.

"GD it Ali!" He sighed, throw down the scissors. He had been trying so hard to get it right for almost an hour, ripping every single stream of paper he tried to curl.

Alison had piles of paper chains beside her, and was struggling to press the trigger of the glue gun in frustration.

"Hey, it's okay. I'll do that, you can make more chains, okay?" She said, with an attempt at sounding gentle.

Donnie wiped the sweat from his temple with the back of his hand, and took the easier job. He tried to ignore the fact that Alison's tone may have turned slightly patronising, as he had regrettably become used to. She scraped the scissors across the strip of paper, almost violently; 24 hours to go, and she had so much more to do.

After 10 minutes, Donnie produced a tri-colour paper chain of around 20 rings. He allowed himself a small smile, but didn't dare show it to Alison, he knew how much of a perfectionist she was, especially when it came to crafts.

"Donnie?" She said sternly, noticing the chain in his hands.

"-Yeah?" He said, his voice wavering. He attempted to shield his work with his arm.

"That..paperchain...I never-how did you-?"

"Sorry, I'm sorry, I'll do it again," He stuttered, a bead of sweat running down his forehead.

"It's perfect." She whispered, holding a hand to her temple. "Ohmygosh. You're perfect."

"Wha- really?" He exclaimed, a little confused.

"Mh-hm." She said, her gaze suddenly intense. She said nothing, but fixed her eyes on his slightly terrified face. "I have _never_ been so attracted to you than right now." She whispered, flinging the glue gun down and throwing her arms around him vehemently.

They hopped off the tram, and Cosima showed Delphine to the main shopping centre.

"So, d'ya know what you want to be yet?" Cosima asked brightly, walking backwards in front of Delphine.

"Yes." Delphine said, surprisingly sure. "Rachel Duncan."

Cosima waited for a millisecond, before smiling widely. She shook her head.

"Delphine, I think some things are just too scary to even entertain." She sniggered. "So, have you got a plan B?"

"Hmm, no, not really." She said, pursing her lips a little.

"Well that's not up to standard! We need effort!" Cosima preached, flinging out her arms, nearly hitting a passer-by. "Ooh! Sorry."

"I know, and I wouldn't want to disappoint her, but I have no idea! What about you?" She asked.

"Me? Imma go in my not-so secret alter ego." She said mysteriously. "The mad scientist." She whispered, looking over the top of her glasses.

Delphine laughed.

"Yes, you don't need to dress up for that, really do you?" She snickered, her nose crinkling up.

"Yeah well, we should probably make it obvious, ya know, just in case."

"Yes, just in case." She laughed.

"Ohmygosh!" Cosima exclaimed, an idea striking her. "I know what you can be! Oh, this'll be so cute. Why don't you be - like a puppy?"

Delphine heard her out, teasing her with one eyebrow raised.

"You're saying I look like a petit chiot?" She challenged.

"No-well yeah, in the nicest possible way." She backtracked, blushing.

"Okay, it's as good an idea as any." She agreed, giving in to the smile she was suppressing. "I will be a puppy. Not at all threatening, yet terrifying." She said wiggling her fingers at Cosima.

"Yeah, I know it's not exactly scary, but I think it will work. Maybe like, a scientist puppy though? That would be cool, then we can be like, together."

Delphine laughed, Cosima was running with it.

"No, come on, it'll work. I have some of mom's old labcoats from work at home, and we need to buy some face paint and stuff, and we'll get some candy just in case the kids come to our door, and a pumpkin, and-"

"Okay, slow down Cosima!" Delphine laughed, linking her arm to shut her up.

They walked into a Halloween store and grabbed some face paint, a pumpkin and a huge box of candy. Delphine payed, refusing to let Cosima. Cosima carried the huge pumpkin in her arms, Delphine bundled with the plastic bag.

The warm smell of caramel drifted through the air, diverting their attention to a small stall at the edge of a park which read 'Toffee Apples'.

"Ohmygod Delphine, I used to love these!" She said, pulling her over to the stand. "Have you ever had one?"

"Uh-no, I don't believe I have," She said, the sweet smell of sugar tantalising.

Cosima bought 2, and handed one to Delphine, the toffee set hard and sticky. Delphine bit into it, her teeth stuck momentarily, mumbling and laughing as she tried to prise the apple out of her mouth.

"Ermygoh Cohema," She murmured. "My heef are huck,"

Cosima sniggered, chewing small pieces of her own apple with no problems. She finally freed the apple from her mouth and ran her tongue along her teeth, as if to check they were still there.

"Perhaps there is a reason I have never had one of these," She giggled as they made their way back to the apartment.

Delphine sat on the couch, her chin tilted up, Cosima's fingers balancing on her chin, her forefinger and thumb pinching the sponge. Cosima dabbed the yellow paint onto her face; it felt cold and cloggy, tingling as the sponge peeled from her skin. Their faces were so close together, Delphine didn't know where to look except in Cosima's eyes, which were narrowed in concentration. Cosima rubbed the sponge back in the paint, her tongue sticking out between her teeth as she drew it across Delphine's forehead, and dabbed at the spaces she had missed.

"Close your eyes," She said softly, going careful around her eyelids, painting a smooth arc beneath her eyebrow. Cosima's breath was warm on her skin, her exhales long but few and far between, as if she were holding her breath in focus.

"Do you want signature Cosima eyeliner wings? Limited edition only," She laughed as Delphine opened her eyes hesitantly.

"It would be an honour," Delphine smiled.

"Ohhkay then, ferme tes yeux encore pour moi." She whispered.

_"Ohhkay then, close your eyes again for me." She whispered._

She pulled out her liquid eyeliner pen from her makeup bag, and bit the lid as she pulled it off. Delphine flinched slightly as she felt the cold nib draw over her eyelids, flicking off at the side. Cosima re-traced the wings until she was completely satisfied; Delphine was sure she didn't breathe once during this important stage. She guessed maybe this was the reason Cosima was the only person she knew to ever have perfectly equal eyeliner. She finished off on the left eye, and squinted as she sat back to scrutinise her work.

"Yeah, you're great. You can open 'em now." She said, as Delphine blinked. "Geez, your eyes have like 20 different colours in them." She noticed as the light lit up each of the coloured fragments individually.

Delphine smiled, blushing a little.

"And yours are very brown. Like chocolate." She giggled.

"Was that a hint?" She smirked, averting her attention to the half-eaten chocolate bar lying on the coffee table. She broke off a square and pushed it into Delphine's mouth, brushing her lips with her fingertips. She picked a paintbrush and swirled it in the black paint, painting a black circle on the tip of Delphine's nose, following the line down to her lips, before dotting some small black dots on her cheeks. Delphine licked her lips carefully, her breath like chocolate as she breathed out, watching Cosima's concentrated face in front of hers.

She split Delphine's hair down the middle, and twisted it at the top of one section, rapidly taking grips from her her mouth and securing it so it looked like floppy ears. She did the same on the other side, and fluffed the hair out with her hands.

"Aw, there you go. Mon petit chiot." Cosima said, sitting back and smiling at her work.

"Thank you, maestro. Now it's your turn-" Delphine said mischeviously. "Take the seat of fear."

"Fear?!" Cosima protested. "It wasn't that bad, was it?"

"No, but this will be." She said, smirking.

Delphine mixed some white with a little black, and dabbed a light amount of grey onto her cheeks, to give her an ill kind of look. She trailed a thin line of blue down one of her temples, and one near her mouth, for the vein effect, and used a black lip-liner to draw up and around the crests of her lips. She used the white face paint to touch up her lips with a thicker paintbrush, and dabbed a little more grey over her forehead.

"Your eye makeup can't be so perfect this time," She teased, rubbing the applicator bud in some black glittery eyeshadow. She coloured Cosima's eyelids expertly, blowing lightly to get rid of the excess. She traced some red beneath her eyelids, to make her look tired and a bit wild.

"Yess, we're done." She beamed.

"Okay, merci! Labcoats then, and we're done!" She said, handing her a labcoat from the sofa.

They shrugged them on, and buttoned them up to the collar, Delphine's grainy blue t-shirt visible up to her neck. They walked over to the full-length mirror together, and marvelled at each other's work.

"Nous sommes pret!" Delphine smiled - their costumes were really good. They high-fived each other triumphantly, and Cosima grabbed the polaroid camera from her school bag. Until now, she had forgotten all about it. She snapped a picture of their faces; Cosima looked sufficiently crazy, and Delphine was definitely non-threateningly terrifying.

Cosima took the pumpkin, turned the door handle, and placed it outside the door, the candle flickering in the cool night air. She put the box of candy beside the pumpkin, knowing fine well what its fate would be.

They took the stairs, their labcoats billowing a little as they ran, Cosima's skateboard tucked under her arm. They made their way to Alison's house, which was about a 5 minute walk from Cosima's apartment, into the lesser-known leafy suburbs of San Francisco.

Cosima threw her skateboard down, and jumped on it mid-movement. Delphine watched her, impressed. She had never attempted skateboarding before, and admired how confident Cosima seemed to be, her dreadlocks bouncing as she shifted her weight to push off the ground. She looked a little ridiculous; the mad skateboarding scientist seemed to have a different kind of feel to it.

After around 5 minutes casual walking, past giggling groups of 4ft ghosts and lankier teenagers hoping to still get their spin of the candy, they reached it a large detatched house. About 4 pumpkins leered from the windows, black, orange and purple paper chains strung from the curtain hooks. Foam gravestones were set up in the front garden, tissue-y cobwebs strewn over the front gate.

Cosima walked up the path to the front door, and knocked 3 times. Donnie answered it sheepishly, in a candy coloured pin-striped suit, white trousers and a boater's hat.

Cosima tried to suppress a giggle, holding a hand to her mouth.

"Who are you and what has Alison done to Donnie Hendrix?" She smirked.

"Just-wait till you see her. Mary Poppins and Bert, yeah you can imagine." He whispered, ushering them inside.

"Cosima!" Alison exclaimed. Cosima clocked the whole costume; a white shirt done up to the collar, her hair tied in a perfect updo, red lipstick and a whitened face.

"Alison! You look- great!" She smiled, rushing to hug her cousin.

"Ohmy- wow, Cosima. You two look amazing! I love it!" She burst out excitedly. Delphine stood in the background, unintentionally doing the puppy look with her eyes. Little did she know.

"Excuse me, sorry, but I have to get busy," She said, hurrying away. Donnie followed her into the kitchen, where Aynsley and Sarah Stubbs were stood stiffly, drinking glasses of white wine.

"Hey! Hey, Aynsley," Cosima said, leaning into the kitchen, holding a hand up in greeting.

"Hello Cosima," Aynsley replied, a huge smile appearing on her face, which fell as soon as Cosima had left back through the door.

A single knock was heard at the door. Dephine and Cosima looked at each other, Alison wasn't around. Cosima shrugged, and opened the door slowly. She was greeted by a tangle of bleach blonde hair and a pair of red eyes.

"Trick or treat," She said, smiling a little sinisterly.

She wore a parka coat zipped to the top, the fluffy hood hanging over her face.

"Oh! Hey, Helena. Wait- you're not even dressed up, Alison will kill you!"

"It has worked for me all day," She said, showing Cosima her pockets brimming with sweets. "They gave me all the candy, before I even asked. A lady screamed." She smirked a little.

"You mean, they were scared of you?" Cosima said, her eyebrows raised.

"Perhaps," She sighed. "Well, isn't this good enough?" She said, opening her coat to reveal a white vest top with what looked like blood concentrated in one circle on the right side of her stomach, her hands a little red, more lighter stains smeared in fingerprints on her shirt.

"God! Yeah, no you're fine, I just thought- Alison, you know,"

"Thank you," She said, pushing her way into the house. "Ooh, I like your hairs," She said, trailing a hand through Delphine's puppy ears.

Cosima turned to Delphine, her eyes wide.

"This blood-" Delphine gasped. "It looked so real,"

Cosima nodded, her brow furrowed heavily. They leaned to see inside the kitchen, Helena already stuffing her face, Aynsley and Sarah Stubbs edging away from her in disgust.

"Oi Oi!" A voice shouted from the end of the path. Felix pushed open the gate, pulling off the fingers of his leather gloves, Sarah trailing behind him.

They strutted into the house, admiring each other's outfits.

"The party can start now, Alison," Felix shouted cheekily.

"Oh! Hello Felix, I'll be up in a jiffy," A muffled voice called from the basement.

"Well, what sdo we have here?" He said, circling Delphine and Cosima, his shoulders thrown back, his eyes glinting mischeviously. "The scientist and her puppy, yeah? Cute." He rubbed a finger in the black paint on the tip of Delphine's nose.

"Hey, Felix. Leave her alone," Cosima laughed, slapping him on the arm. "Anyway, what are you two supposed to be?"

Felix took off his long trench coat and hung it up, his back turned to them. As he turned around, they saw his costume; a black string vest, showing off his skinny figure, the dog collar of a vicar around his neck, a long cross necklace bouncing on his chest. His eyes were dark, and there was a hint of red on his lips.

"The Vicar, at your service." He said, one hand on his hip.

Sarah pulled her hood down and revealed a bush of backcombed hair, her eyelids black, her lips bright red. A 'The Cure' vest top was tucked into high waisted black shorts, fishnet tights running down to her boots.

"The Cure!" Delphine exclaimed, a little too excitedly.

Sarah looked up, and smiled, surprised.

Jennifer and Marion arrived next, Jennifer's hair still a little wet from training. They were both zombies, with ripped t-shirts and grey faces, red wounds on their hands and arms.

"Yeah Jenny!" Cosima beamed, high fiving her friend. "You both look great!"

They all filed into the kitchen, where Alison emerged to get swarmed by Sarah, Felix and Helena. Everyone was here except...

A quiet knock at the door, and Alison walked over to it quickly, taking a deep breath and smoothing down her dress before answering. She knew who it was, without needing to see the figure through the white curtains. She turned the door knob, and forced a smile onto her nerve-wracked face.

"Hello, Beth!" She said brightly.

Beth looked at the ground a little embarassedly, and fidgeted with her hands.

"Yeah, hey, Hendrix." She said sheepishly. "Thanks for uh, thanks for inviting-"

"Oh! If it isn't the Athletics Captain of Grove High!" Felix announced, dragging her into the house abruptly. "Elizabeth is here everyone!" He said, as he marched her into the kitchen, where they all turned to stare like bewildered sheep.

Beth blushed, and pulled her arm out of Felix's grip roughly.

"Orrite, orrite. I was just making you feel welcome," He said holding his hands up and frowning.

The whole room gawped. She was still a taboo in their class, no one dared to speak to her even after 2 months.

She wore a policewoman's uniform, a blue jacket sucked in at the waist, a navy hat skew-wiff on her head. Everyone thought she looked, well, amazing, not that any of them would have dared to tell her. After an awkward silence, everyone continued their conversations.

"Thank you for coming, Beth. Your costume looks great," She said kindly.

Beth was beginning to wish she hadn't come, but knew those exact thoughts were the reason she still hadn't made any friends. She smiled at Alison a little, and made her way over to the counter to pour herself a large measure.

AN: Hey, this is the Halloween Chapter, it's not quite finished, so you might get the rest tomorrow or something. You guys don't know the trouble I had characterising those halloween costumes, by the gods. Oh and I know Donnie's pre-married name wasn't Hendrix, but I didn't want to make one up, so bear with! So, did you like? This 'un took aaages! Please review, and have a SPOOKY halloween, okay?

~cophineonthescene_athalloween_


	22. Chapter 22

**AN: doo doo doo! we're back! for this chapter, you might want to watch A: the clone club dance party to refresh your minds and B: the cafe de flore dance scene cause i had to watch it a million times to be able to describe it in this chapter. not that im complaining. Also it would be UBER COOL if you could get tabs open of: Adam Shaikh water prayer rasta mix (you know the clone club dance party song), Navvaatara - Elisapie Isaac (if u dont do any plz just do this one its beautiful) and Time Warp. Like if you listened to these when the time is right that would be amazing! dont worry i have written you prompts for when to play them. so gogogo get youtube open and get like 3 tabs and this will be so so cool **

**also if the suggestion of drugs (and only suggestion) or drunkenness offends you, u probs shouldnt read this chapter**

Beth filled a glass with whisky, not the drink of choice for anyone else in the room, but that was all she ever drank. She took a mouthful, coughing a little as she swallowed. Immediately the warm rush spread down her throat and into her stomach, causing her to clutch the counter, screwing her eyes shut.

A bit later...

Delphine still seemed a little uncomfortable, and sipped red wine from a tall glass. Cosima compared this against the others, swigging lager and cider from bottles. She laughed fondly.

"Not a big drinker, huh?"

"Non," She admitted. "I do not see the attraction. Back home, we are brought up with alcohol on the table, so it is not exciting to us. We are encouraged to drink wine, but of course, it tastes horrible, so it is no big deal. Now, I drink wine because I am used to it, but your friends, they get drunk for the sake, non?"

Cosima sighed, and observed Felix being sick in the kitchen sink. Luckily Alison hadn't noticed, and was busy pulling teeth with Beth.

"Yeah, I see what you mean."

"In America, drinking is the big vice, but in France, it is le cigarette." She said, smirking.

Sarah pulled Felix's head from the sink by his hair, looking at him sternly.

"What the hell you doin', Fe?" She asked, sighing.

He wiped his mouth with the back of his hand and looked at her with droopy eyes, before laughing nervously.

"Get yourself together, ya silly shit. You're such a lightweight, can't take you anywhere." She ran the tap into the sink, and stuck his head back in. "Clean your face up, you look a mess."

Sarah leaned on the counter, looking over at Cosima and her friend. Cosima stood with one leg slightly bent, giggling up at Delphine, who was considerably taller. Sarah shook her head and smiled, she knew Cosima well enough to know she was head over heels.

"So, Athletics training," Alison began again. "How's it going this season?"

"Well, cross-country is starting soon, and we're holding tryouts this week, cause a few guys dropped out." Beth said factually, sipping her drink again.

"Tryouts? Oh! When are they...?" She asked, a hand on her chin.

"During gym class sometime this week, so I gotta y'know, approve them all." She smiled slightly.

Alison nodded, an idea forming in her head.

"Beth!" Jennifer called, walking over. "Hey! How did regionals go? We kinda flunked it for our team, but I heard you guys did pretty well."

Alison smiled quickly, and took the opportunity to free herself from the situation, making a beeline towards Donnie.

"Cosima seems pretty cosy over there," He remarked, smirking.

Alison stared at her cousin for longer than was completely necessary, immediately recognising the situation. She snapped out of her nosy tendencies, and hit him lightly on the hand.

"Yes, even if she is, we should leave her to it. It's about time," She murmured.

"Ali," Aynsley schmoozed, smiling. "I think Sarah and I are gonna, y'know, skidaddle."

Alison observed Sarah, who looked more than a little uncomfortable, stood beside Felix who had his head thrown over the sink. She tried to smother her laugh.

"Oh, yeah of course. Thanks for coming, as always Aynsley." Alison said.

Aynsley gestured wildly to Sarah to come over.

"Thanks for the invite, we've had a wonderful time," Aynsley said, pulling her into a hug. "See you later. Best friends forever, right?"

Alison hooked pinky fingers with her, beaming painfully.

"Yeah," She choked. "See you soon. Bye Sarah!"

As soon as the door shut, it seemed everyone breathed a sigh of relief, especially Alison, who made hers audible. Donnie had been watching their BFFs ritual in horror.

"You've got to stop," He stuttered.

Alison shuddered.

"Tell me about it,"

"Hey bitchessss," Tony shouted, squeezing past Aynsley in the doorway, looking her up and down. "Hey babe," He winked at her. She shook herself and looked at him disgustedly, before hurrying off down the path. "I'm here, I'm here-"

Beth sighed relief, her shoulders dropping, the ghost of a smile wanting to make its way onto her face. Tony, her cousin, her only mutual friend with Alison, was here.

"Hey, Ali," He said, swaggering over to envelope her in a cologne-filled hug.

"Yes, hello, Tony." She blushed, her cheek pressed against his shoulder.

"Cuz!" He shouted, strutting over to Beth. "Didn't think you'd turn up to a joint like this,"

"Hey to you too, dipshit." She smiled, hugging him tightly. People watched in astonishment; Beth showing affection? But tried to keep it subtle. Of all people they would never associate Elizabeth Childs with Tony Sawicki.

"Hey Cosima, I brought some stuff," He schmoozed, waving a small plastic bag in his fingers. "You interested?"

Cosima cleared her throat and adjusted her glasses.

"No, no thanks man. Not today."

Tony frowned, surprised.

"What, you messin with me dreads? You always want in-"

"Nah, I'm uh-layin off today," She mumbled, scratching the back of her head, subconsciously glancing at Delphine.

Tony turned his gaze to Delphine, who stood a little awkwardly.

"Ohh, now I get it..." He sighed. "So, what's your name, beautiful?"

Cosima coughed violently, and Delphine blushed up to her ears.

"Um, Delphine," She said quietly.

"No way- is that a French accent? I thought you were hot, but that's even better,"

"Tony- back down, man-" Cosima laughed nervously.

"Oh! Sorry, sorry. I'm-yeah, sorry Cos. She your girl? Yeah, shoulda sensed that, sorry."

"Oh no-she's not-we're not-" Cosima stuttered, the blood pounding in her ears.

Tony simply laughed, and nodded as he walked away.

"Sorry about that...he's sometimes a little...forward." She laughed.

"No, no it's okay. And... do you have something to tell me Cosima?" She teased, a devious smirk playing on her lips.

"No-" Cosima's heart raced. "Wha- ohh the pot. Yeah I have to admit, well, y'know I'm from San Fran so...it's just a thing..." She said, hanging her head a little.

"Cosima, it is okay. I have a secret too." She interrupted, whispering. "Sometimes... I smoke."

Cosima's eyebrows shot up.

"Seriously? Do your parents know?" She asked, recalling how strict they had been when they had skipped school.

"Yes, really."Delphine nodded guiltily. "And no, they don't know. I kept it a secret from you because I don't like it about myself. So anyway, I don't judge."

"Haha, sweet. Then we both have our vices."

"Yes," Delphine said, her smile fading as she got distracted by Cosima's cheeky grin, again.

Alison's playlist skipped a few, seemingly due to Felix who was swaying precariously by the CD player. He wound the volume up, and an alternative reggae song faded into the room. He beckoned Cosima mischeviously.

**(gogogo Adam Shaikh Water Prayer rasta mix thing)**

"Felix!" Cosima groaned, beaming across to him.

"Come on, Cosima. It's our song!" He slurred, pulling her closer.

Cosima gestured for Delphine to follow them into the living room where the music was pounding.

Cosima danced uninhibited, her arms moving in random patterns, her hands twisting and turning fluidly, her tongue poking out between her teeth. Felix pulled her further into the room, where they danced together for a while, Felix's dance moves not limited by his complete drunkenness.

Sarah found them in the living room, and offered Delphine a smirk as she joined the dance. She seemed to invite her silently, though Delphine was too scared. She preferred to watch Cosima and her original dance moves. She was completely lost in the music, her style a complete contrast to Sarah's attitude. Helena and Alison followed, and joined the dance party, Cosima reeling Helena in with her hands. Helena headbanged crazily, Alison uncomfortably dancing against Felix, who was enjoying her awkward discomfort. Delphine took a step back mentally, and saw Cosima, her face grey and veiny, her eyes black, a lab coat reaching her knees, dancing crazily with a vicar, a rock star, Mary Poppins and...a Helena. It would have been funny if the chemistry in the room wasn't so amazing. She got the feeling that they were all such a close-knit group of friends, and she felt pang of... jealousy?

Cosima's arms twisted, flung up in the air, crouching down to swipe the floor before coming back up and beckoning Delphine over. Delphine blushed, and shook her head, her hair bouncing adoreably.

"Ahh, come o-nn," Cosima laughed, grabbing her hand.

Delphine allowed herself to be dragged into the middle of the room, where all Cosima's friends were dancing full-out. Cosima knew Delphine was reluctant, so pressed their palms together and held their fingers spread out wide on either side of their faces.

Then she broke away, and her hands danced flowingly, her fingers extending and rippling as they twisted in front of her face. Delphine danced subtly, turning her head to the side now and then, pushing her hands downwards in a repetitive motion, her hips swaying to the music. Cosima danced alongside Delphine, but in every other sense by herself, a constant grin on her face.

Felix bumped into Sarah, who slapped him on the arm, and danced back-to-back with him. They laughed as they danced together, Alison watching Helena a little worriedly. Alison danced beside Cosima, her arms tucked in by her sides, her head bobbing to the music.

The song faded out, and Sarah whooped and swigged more lager from her bottle. "Alrighhhht!" She slurred, laughing.

"Okayyy," Felix announced, his voice volatile and giddy. "I'm going to the kitchen, anyone coming? SHOTS!"

"Oh-um, Felix!" Alison tried, hurrying after them, mumbling to herself.

All of Cosima's friends quickly left the room and followed Felix hungrily, Helena licking her lips at Cosima and laughing. Cosima rolled her eyes and shook her head, pushing her out of the door.

A slower song faded into their ears, and they realised they were the only two left in the room.

(**Navvaatara Elisapie Isaac)**

Delphine locked eyes with Cosima, standing a little away from her. She seemed determined, and kept eye contact as she began to dance. Cosima thought it seemed as though she was dancing _to_ her.

She stood with one hand on her hip, and drew a palm across the air, her arm fully extended. She passed it back the other way, before directing two pointed hands at Cosima briefly, averting her gaze to the floor. Cosima watched, a little mesmerised, trying to understand all she was trying to convey in the dance. She swung her arms backwards and brought them back up, casting her head to the side as her hands passed her ears. Her eyes burned into Cosima's each time her fingers pointed her way. Her arms stretched out gradually, in pulse with the music, tossing her hair slightly as she moved her head. She moved her arms inwards, before stretching one arm up, and pushing her face back with the other, following the curve of her body down with fluid movements of her hands. Felix watched subtly from outside, admiring the complete romanticism of it. Delphine crossed her arms over her chest, and flung her head down, her hair tumbling over her head seemingly ringlet by ringlet. Coming up, she beckoned Cosima closer.

They locked their fingers, their foreheads pressed together as they moved with the music, swaying from foot to foot. Delphine smiled widely, pulling back to see Cosima's equally content face. Cosima nestled her head into Delphine's shoulder, and drank in her scent as they wove their arms around each other, one hand with fingers still entertwined. They hadn't spoken a word the whole time, but the silence spoke all that they couldn't say for themselves.

"Look," Felix whispered to his sister. "Chemistry in labcoats-"

"Aw, that's cute," Sarah remarked, smiling genuinely.

Cosima closed her eyes, her head resting on Delphine's shoulder, Delphine's arms enveloping her shoulders, her fingers playing with her dreadlocks.

Cosima giggled quietly, out of pure happiness, though it was muffled in Delphine's labcoat. Delphine smiled too, sure Cosima must feel as happy as she did right now. The song never seemed to end, with its sensual violin drones and sharp snare taps, and a soft voice singing lyrics in some language neither recognised. It eventually faded out, and they stood for a little while in the same embrace, before they both pulled out slowly.

They stared at each other for what seemed like an eternity, Cosima lost in Delphine's hazel eyes which seemed to want to say so much. Cosima's smile faded, the warm feeling in her stomach not going away.

"You dance well, ma cherie," Delphine said softly, smiling.

"So do you," Cosima said, feeling the ghost of Delphine's arms around her shoulders.

They stood, word-less for a few seconds, not knowing how to consolidate what just happened for themselves, never mind put it into words. Luckily, another tune barged its way out of the CD player, causing a mass influx of everyone into the room.

**(Time Warp!)**

**"**TIME WARP!**"** Felix shouted, gathering everyone into the living room.

Cosima and Delphine stayed stock still, and smiled at each other through the bustle of their friends, each secretly glad that they had a distraction.

Everyone was shotted-up, and the air stank of apple sours as they all drifted back in. Felix was even more precarious, and seemed to not be able to keep his eyes open. Helena sniggered and poured vodka into her mouth relentlessly.

"It's just a jump to the left-" Sarah shouted in a deep, very English voice, cracking herself up as everyone followed.

**AN: well aren't I a terrible person. you've all been waiting a month. A MONTH. im so sorry. i cant even tell you what ive been doing except crying over ebro's hair on the CIFF vids , getting really disheartened with this and writing more and not uploading more and basically i have had this chapter written since like bonfire night...im sorry. anyway I'M BACK ON THE SCENE. hopefully it'll be regular again after this, but i cant promise anything! someone asked me for tony so i put him in too! it was fun writing him. you know, reviews always brighten my day, so there will be a better chance of a quick upload if y'all let me know what you think...sneaky huh? hahah anyway yeah, i nearly have it all done so its kinda nearly over but i was thinking of it never being over...you'll see why. i have big plans. which i might not be able to keep to... hahah anyway yeah please leave your luverly words of wisdom and i'll seeyas soon!**


	23. Chapter 23

They walked out into the dark, the night air cooling their cheeks.

"Ey, you wanna lift, Cos?" Sarah shouted, sticking her head out from the car door.

Cosima glanced at Delphine, who shrugged her shoulders noncommittally, and nodded.

"Oh, yeah, thanks Sarah," She smiled, helping Delphine to slide into the back seat.

Sarah twisted the key in the ignition, and after 3 attempts the old car shuddered into life. Felix lolled about in his seat, giggling deliriously every so often.

"Oi, get yourself together, ya silly tit." Sarah said, slapping him on the cheek.

"Are...you alright to drive, Sarah?" Cosima asked warily, noticing her slightly shaking hands and excited tone.

"What, you joking Cosima? When have I ever lost it at a party? Exactly, I'm the cool one. He's the idiot."

Cosima laughed. "Yeah, I know."

They drove through the dark streets, the settled rain on the road flicking up at the windows. Delphine rested her head on Cosima's shoulder, and fell into a deep sleep, which possibly had something to do with the wine.

"So then, what's the do with you and Del-fine?" Felix slurred, his dark eyes sparkling.

"Shut up, Fe." Sarah reprimanded impatiently, taking a right turn.

"Well, I just wanted to know. It was getting pretty steamy back at that dance session,"

Cosima smiled, and noted Delphine's curly hair spread over her shoulder.

"I don't know. We don't-we don't talk about it, it's just there. Which I think we both appreciate."

"Well I think that's great Cos. Wouldn't we all kill for a relationship like that. No labels, makes it more private I think. Which is something some people just wouldn't understand." Sarah glanced at Felix, who was sulking in the front seat. Lights blared in front of them, as a lonely car passed on the road leading up to Cosima's house.

"Thanks, Sarah." Cosima said earnestly. "For the lift, I mean. Well- and for, ya know, getting it."

"Anytime," Sarah smiled, pulling up outside Cosima's apartment, the engine still whirring.

Cosima pushed the door open, and shook Delphine gently.

"Delphine," She whispered, brushing a thumb over her cheek. "Delphine, we're here."

"Mmm?" She groaned.

"Commme on," Cosima said, heaving her out of the car and onto the pavement. "Thanks again Sarah, see you at school."

"Seeya," She said, with a wave from the window.

Cosima put Delphine's floppy arm around her shoulders, and tried to support her as she walked a little precariously. Delphine was much taller, though, and her knees buckled a little as Cosima tried her best to push her up. She quickly keyed in the code to open the glass door, and pushed it open with one hand.

"Commme on, we'll take the elevator." She chuckled, pressing the button until it lit up.

They walked inside the small rickety elevator, Delphine's breath laced thick with wine, her reactions slow, her eyes lingering over Cosima's face for much longer than they normally would. She laughed a little, and took Cosima's face in her hands, her pupils wide, her gaze a little crazy. She brushed her thumbs over Cosima's cheeks, feeling her skin burning red beneath her fingertips. Cosima's heart raced, but this was _all_ wrong.

"Woah woah woah, you're drunk, Delphine." Cosima said, taking her hands from her face. "Man, I thought you said you didn't even like drinking."

"J'n'suis...pas...ivre.." She said, pouting a little.

"Yes, yes you are." Cosima insisted, glad the lift had finally come to a halt.

She led Delphine to the front door, supporting her as she staggered, and led her straight across the rug to the spiral staircase. She pushed her up in front of her, in case she decided to fall down, and sat her down on the bed.

"You don't have to do this...for me..." She slurred, giggling.

Cosima sat down beside her, and took the grips out which were holding the shape of her hair in place.

"Apparently I do..." Cosima smiled as Delphine stared at her blankly. "Here, take this off." She gestured to the labcoat, whose buttons were fastened all the way up to her neck. Delphine didn't respond, but watched Cosima slowly as she gave in and undid the buttons for her.

"You are very nice, Cosima." She said, nodding slowly.

"So are you." Cosima laughed affectionately, dragging the lab coat off her arms. "Just get some sleep now, okay? We'll bunk off school tomorrow morning, so you don't have to worry about getting up."

Delphine furrowed her brow, and shook her head. "I have never, had a- someone like you, Cosima." She said, before kissing her on the forehead. "Bonne nuit, ma cherie," She murmured, before collapsing backwards onto the pillow, and falling asleep almost instantly.

Cosima sighed, smiling, and took off her outfit, changing into her pyjamas. She cleared the makeup from her face in the bathroom, and brushed her teeth, bringing a glass of water back up with her to put on Delphine's bedside table. Delphine lay on top of the duvet, sound asleep, already settled into a steady pattern of deep, content breathing. Cosima tried to move her a little as she pulled the duvet over her slumbering body, and climbed in beside her, switching off the light.

* * *

><p>"Mmmm-" Delphine groaned, clutching her forehead instinctively. She licked her lips, and swallowed, her mouth as dry as sand.<p>

"You okay?" Cosima mumbled, turning over to face Delphine, her own eyes still half-closed. Her vision was blurry without her glasses, and her eyes hadn't adjusted to the light streaming through the gap in the curtains.

Delphine fumbled on the table beside her, and her fingers closed around a glass of water which was now half-empty; she must have subconsciously reached for it in the night. She sat up a little and drank vivaciously, dripping water through her fingers and onto the neck of her pyjamas.

"Yes, thank you," She answered, grimacing a little at the volume of her own voice. "Gosh, was I drunk? I am never drunk...I don't remember..."

Cosima's heart sank, she didn't remember anything...?

"Hm...the last thing I remember was..." She recalled the fuzzy memories, "dancing...with you..." She said, smiling as it pieced together in her mind. She tilted her head in Cosima's direction, her face still yellow from her costume, the black nose still painted on.

Cosima blushed a little, and smiled. "Yeah," She murmured, threading her fingers between Delphine's. "You were way drunk, but you remember the only thing worth remembering, so I'll let you off,"

Delphine laughed, a little confused. "I can't believe I got drunk, how did this happen?"

"Well, you must'a drank a lot of wine..."

Delphine furrowed her brow. "No, I don't think I did...I had a couple of glasses, then Felix offered to get me a drink..."

Cosima sighed, throwing her head backwards. "Bitch!" She said, laughing disbelievingly. "Delphine, Felix must've given you something a little stronger than you expected."

"Really?" Delphine said, her eyes wide. "I have noticed he doesn't like me very much, I think he is quite protective of you."

Cosima shook her head, feeling protective herself. "Yeah, I guess he is. But seriously? Spiking you? He's not getting away with that. That's not cool. Imma get him back sometime."

"No- just, leave it. I am okay, so it is fine." She said, smiling comfortingly.

The angry flush on Cosima's cheeks paled away, but she didn't agree.

"Ohh gosh," Delphine clutched her head. "I didn't do anything stupid, did I?"

Cosima thought back to Delphine's out of character suggestiveness in the lift, and decided that she could keep that to herself. She didn't want her to die of embarrassment.

"Nahhh, I was looking after you, you were just dozing off all the time," She half-lied convincingly.

"Oh, good." Delphine sighed. "I could not bear it if I made a fool of myself. And thank you for looking after me. I don't remember much, but I am here and that is thanks to you."

"Well I wasn't gonna leave you in the gutter." She teased. "Anyway, so we'll take the rest of the day off, or we can go into school if you really want..." She said, putting on her glasses.

"I could not possibly condone cutting class, Cosima." Delphine said with a smirk. "But if you make that choice, I can't deny it."

"No, no, you have to tell me." Cosima teased. "If you don't we're going to school right now."

"Cosima!" She protested, laughing.

"3, 2, 1...Okay, come on then," She said, pushing her to sit upright.

"Noooo," She giggled. "Ohkay, okay. I would like to -"

"What was that?"

"I would like to cut class with you, Cosima Niehaus."

"That's better." She laughed. "Oh, and Delphine?"

"Yes?"

"You still look like a puppy." She said, rubbing a finger in the black paint on Delphine's nose and showing her.

"Oh! Gosh," She sniggered, having totally forgotten all about it.

"Right," Cosima sighed, standing up and pulling a dressing gown over her shoulders. "I'll go and make breakfast, and you can return to being a human."

"Thank you," Delphine snickered, staying in the warmth of the bed until Cosima had gone down the steps. She wondered if the warm feeling in her stomach or her unexplained happiness meant she was still a little drunk. But surely not...?

**AN: Hey guys. Cheers for the reviews on the dance chapter, I'm glad you all enjoyed it so much! Reviews as always would be grandly appreciated, and *shameless plug* I am writing another fic called 'The Final Scene - To a Violin String'. It follows Delphine and Danielle Fournier, so please go and give it a gander. Don't be put off by the character death, or even just skip the first chapter, it's only a flash forward. The rest is fluff, like this fic. Honestly. Okay see you guys soon and if I don't, have a wonderful Christmas and a happy new Year! I've really enjoyed writing for you these past few months, so thank you for your kind words and support. *confetti and snowflakes***


	24. Chapter 24

**AN: Spot the crossover character! Let me know in a review if you notice!**

"Qu'est-ce que tu as fait Cosima?" Delphine asked, as she padded barefoot over to Cosima who was pouring some mixture into a container.

"Waffles," She glanced backwards, a cheeky grin on her face. "Here, yours is done, do you want syrup?"

Delphine sat on one of the spinny stools beside the granite worktop of the island. She nodded enthusiastically. "Oui, merci."

"This looks si bon," Delphine admitted, taking a delicate spoonful.

Cosima sat down opposite her, her own plate piled with warm waffles and syrup. She grinned at her mischievously across the table.

"So, what do ya wanna do today?" She said, licking the melted syrup from her lips.

"Hmm, I don't know, what should we do? Maybe you should be my tour guide." She laughed.

Cosima nodded, her dreadlocks bouncing. "Good idea! Yeah, we haven't even been sightseeing yet, have we?"

"But I have already seen the only sight I wanted to see," Delphine said, meeting Cosima's eyes slowly.

"Pshhh," Cosima rolled her eyes, her tongue poking between her teeth. "You're such a sap, Delphine."

"Why am I?" She feigned confusion, though Cosima could see the sparkle in her eye.

"So you mean you don't wanna see any of San Fran cause you only wanted to see me?"

Delphine smirked. "No, I mean I saw the Golden Gate bridge from the plane window."

Cosima grinned, shaking her head.

"Hey, you're the cheeky one. I don't know how you dare," She said, cocking her jaw to the side.

Delphine giggled, and ate another spoonful of her breakfast, beaming across at Cosima's faux offended face.

"Okay, so you wanna see the Golden Gate a bit closer, right?" She asked.

"If you are offering," She joked.

"Then offer I shall," She grinned, holding out a hand.

Delphine slapped her hand into Cosima's grip, and they walked along the street, Delphine swinging their arms playfully. Cosima looked up at Delphine, and beamed, blinking a little in the bright sunlight. Cosima's long skirt swished around her ankles, her belly top exposing her toned stomach. Delphine's hair was tamed back into a bun, some escaped ringlets teased out by her cheeks. Their hands swung, interlocked, Delphine's fingers noticeably longer, her purple nail varnish perfect as always. Two girls in school uniforms passed them on scooters, freewheeling quickly down the steep hill.

"Oh, by the way, Cosima?"

"Yeah?"

"I could kill for some ice cream," She said, biting her bottom lip and looking at Cosima sideways.

Cosima stopped in her tracks and grinned, tilting her head.

"Okay, then your wish is my command. We're gonna go to the store and we're gonna get us some eskimo pies..." She said, waggling her eyebrows.

"Eskimo?"

"Yeah,"

"I don't think I know it," She frowned, thinking how funny Cosima was to have all these strange words. She thought an eskimo was a man wearing a furry hood in the North Pole, not ice cream.

"Then prepare yourself, you're about to become a craven addict," She said, running her fingertips over Delphine's knuckles, their fingers still locked.

"I think I already am," She said softly, smiling but not meeting Cosima's eyeline.

Cosima had no idea why that made her heart race, but her lips curved into a smile all the same. She grabbed 2 eskimo pies, paid the shopkeeper along with a friendly smile, and handed one to Delphine.

"You're gonna love it," She smiled, taking a bite into her own. The cold chocolate splintered and melted on her tongue.

"Oooh, " She exclaimed. "c'est delicieux,"

Cosima nodded in agreement, licking the ice cream that ran onto her fingers.

They ate as they walked, tossing the sticks into a bin.

"Hey, you missed a bit," Cosima said, gesturing to her mouth.

Delphine blushed, and exclaimed. "Ooh-where? Here?"

"No, a little to the left, up a bit," Delphine had no idea with Cosima's English directions. "Ah, here," Cosima gave in, tracing a fingertip beneath her lip. "It's gone."

They walked a little longer down the wide street; the road rippled in the heat and bead of sweat ran down Delphine's back as the sun beat down on them relentlessly. Cosima's sneakers cut into her heels, and her long skirt shrouded her legs in too much heat.

"Okay, and now, straight ahead we have the Golden Gate bridge. The thing we have walked all this tortuously hot way to see," She panted.

"Wow," Delphine smiled, seeing the bright red bridge seemingly stretching for miles, thousands of tiny cars hurrying to and fro like a colony of ants. A slight mist hugged the stilts of the bridge, rolling off the sea, before it was burnt off by the sun's incredible heat.

"Okay, and you have to get an obligatory picture like leaning on the bridge, you know what I mean?" Cosima laughed as Delphine positioned herself, cringing and giggling as Cosima lined up the shot, taking longer that was completely necessary.

"Ohmygod, should I get my nose pierced?" She said suddenly, glancing through the window of a tattoo parlour. "I've always wanted to, and I've got my lucky mascot with me-" She said, linking Delphine's arm. "What do you think?"

Delphine widened her eyes. "Ton nez? Un piercing?"

Cosima nodded.

"What would your mother say? Will you get into trouble?"

"Nahh, mom has loads of em herself. Whaddo you say? Come onnn...Oh! You could get one too!" She exclaimed.

Delphine lifted a hand to her nose in shock.

"Okay, okay, no nose piercing, but maybe ears...? That would look so cute on you-" Cosima smirked.

Delphine bit her lip nervously; her parents would never let her get her ears pierced, not even now she was 17. But she couldn't disappoint Cosima's grin and the sparkle in her eyes, could she?

"Oh, I'm not so sure Cosima..."

"Yeahhh, sure you're sure. Come on," She beamed, dragging her into the shop. "Okay, Imma get my nose pierced, if you don't want to that's fine, like I'm obv not gonna force you..."

"Mmmm..." She said, swaying a little. She had always wanted to anyway. "...Ohkayy,"

"Sweet!" Cosima grinned, walking up to the counter. "Hey Vic! Uh, can I get a nose piercing...?" She came right out with it.

The short, tattooed man smirked a little, and nodded.

"Yeah, sure kid. You got the money?"

"Mhmm," Cosima confirmed, nodding.

"Alright then, just come over to this chair. You gotta sign all this shit first, then we can go ahead with it..." He said gruffly, though in a friendly manner, handing her some sheets of paper and a pen.

Cosima scribbled her name and signature where appropriate, and handed it back to him expectantly. Delphine felt uncomfortable in the sterile-smelling shop, her arm crossed over her stomach subconsciously, as she returned a slightly more nervous smile than the grin Cosima was giving her.

"Alllright then," Vic said, scanning over Cosima's filled in papers. "So where abouts do you want it? Left, right?"

"My right, your left dude. And have you got any of those cool ring things, like I think I could rock that, right Delphine?"

Delphine nodded eagerly, offering her an encouraging smile.

Vic selected a menacing looking piercing gun from the side, noting Cosima's choice of piercing.

"Okay, kid. This is just the needle gun that I gotta use, it shouldn't hurt too much, but if ya really want you can hold someone's hand," He joked, laughing to himself gruffly.

"Hey, I can handle it, don't be a bitch," She grinned cheekily.

"Whatever you say..." He trailed off, a smile still lingering on his face, positioning the gun over her nose.

Cosima locked her eyes with Delphine's, determined that it wouldn't hurt if she didn't stop looking her way. She wasn't scared, but her fingertips seemed to be going white on the arms of the reclined chair.

Delphine nodded comfortingly, trying not to wince at the size of the needle gun in his hand. A quick click, Cosima's eyes flinched a little, and a silver ring was threaded through the reddened hole in her nose. Cosima wrinkled her nose a little, her eyes squinted.

"Owh?!" She whispered, before her cheeky smile returned to her face.

"Are you okay, Cosima?" Delphine asked as Cosima got up from the chair. "Does it hurt-"

Cosima laughed. "Nah, I'm peachy. Thanks man, here's the money."

She made to leave, but Delphine seemed to be dragging her heels a little.

"S'up, you changed your mind?" She grinned.

Delphine bit her lip, and nodded her head.

"I want a souvenir, I think."

"Okay, if you're sure-"

"Yes, I'm sure. That suits you by the way, you look very chouette..."

Cosima smiled, and headed back over to the counter.

"Hey Vic?"

"Yeah-" He said from where he crouched down, rifling through a box beneath the till.

"My friend wants an ear piercing - I think?"

Delphine nodded, a little nervously.

"Yeah, yeah, sure. Just-uh, sign that paperwork on the top and I'll be right there."

Delphine gripped the pen with a sweaty palm, and wrote in elegant cursive her name, address and what she was agreeing to. Vic bobbed up from behind the counter, skimmed over the form and nodded slowly.

"French, huh? How'd ya run into this one kid?"

"French penpal," Cosima said. "So, you gonna help us out or what?"

Vic held his hands up and smirked.

"Yeah, yeah, a guy's gotta do his job. If you wanna take a seat..."

Delphine slid uncomfortably into the reclined chair, her bare legs sticking to the leather. She watched Cosima worriedly, trying to force a smile onto her lips. Delphine chose which stud she wanted, and fidgeted nervously with her hands in her lap. Her parents were sure to kill her. But what was that saying...? What happens in San Fran stays in...? No wait that wasn't even a saying. She panicked a little, but Cosima's encouraging smile grounded her, and she calmed down. She felt the cold metal on her ear lobes as Vic centred the gun precisely.

"Right, like I said before, cause I gotta say this, this might hurt a bit, but -"

"Yes, I would like to."

"Huh?"

"Cosima-" She asked, stretching out a palm.

Cosima blushed a little; this wasn't doing wonders for her street cred with Vic, but she hurried over and gripped her fingers tightly, brushing her thumb back and forth.

"It's okay," She whispered.

The gun clicked, and Delphine's eyes blinked quickly, her grip tightening on Cosima's fingers. Vic moved around and lined up the gun on the other ear.

"Pauvre petit chiot," Cosima whispered with a grin.

Delphine smiled, and screwed her eyes shut as the second needle pierced her skin.

"All done!" Vic said, walking over to behind the counter. Delphine pulled out a wad of dollars from her back pocket and handed them over with a watery smile.

"Merci," She added, before pushing open the door.

"Aw, I was right. They do look cute," Cosima said proudly.

"Thank you," She smiled, her earlobes still throbbing.

Cosima's nose was also bright red, but she ignored the pain and they set off back home, taking a the detour through the mall.

"Photoboothhhh!" Cosima groaned, veering towards the tall white box in the middle of the mall. "Ohh, come on, we have to now, right?"

Delphine laughed, "Yes, okay. I love these back home also."

Cosima jogged over to the box, and pulled back the thin blue curtain.

"God, it's small in here." She said, letting Delphine sit down on the ledge.

"There is not much room for both of us," Delphine said, and gestured for Cosima to sit on her knee, pressing the button for it to start. They felt strangely nervous as the clock timed down.

Cosima grinned, Delphine's head sticking out beside her shoulder, then flung her arms around her and smiled mischieviously. The next photo was taken as Cosima's head was turned, looking down at her friend. Then she jumped up eagerly from her lap, and they rushed outside to grab the 2 photostrips.

"Oh, I love it." Delphine exclaimed, holding it in her hands. "I will keep this forever!"

**AN: This was just the definition of fluff, for no apparent reason, except for the origin of the nose ring. So yeah...**


	25. Chapter 25

"Last day at school, sleepy head..." Cosima whispered, running a fingertip down the bridge of her nose.

Delphine wrinkled her nose, and opened her eyes, her brow furrowed in confusion.

"Mwa?" She mumbled.

"It's our last day..." Cosima said, her smile a little sad.

Delphine stuck her lip out, blinking her eyes, looking comically sad. She wrapped her arms around Cosima, who was sat up, her back propped up with a pillow.

"Oh God, I don't want to leave you," She admitted.

"Me neither," Cosima smiled. "But it won't be forever, we'll do this again sometime soon, won't we?"

Delphine smiled, she appreciated Cosima's optimism.

"Come on... today will be fun. My friends said I'd better not let you leave without saying goodbye."

"They did?" Delphine asked, surprised.

"Yeah, believe it or not, Felix I think feels a little threatened by you, that's all. I reckon you two could become best friends if you tried," She laughed. "And Sarah, well, she never really shows affection, but they all took a liking to you. And Alison, well you know about her. She would never forgive me if she missed out. So we'll go to school, and then I have one last thing for us to do."

Delphine raised her eyebrows, intrigued.

"Oh yeah, and I think we have gym today, so I'll get you some stuff to wear." She climbed out of the bed, immediately leaving a cold spot beside Delphine. She retracted her arms back inside the duvet.

Cosima rooted through her messy chest of drawers, throwing things on the floor next to her, flinging other things over her shoulder, pulling them out and crushing them back in before she found what she was looking for.

"Here, my old Habs sweater!" She said, producing a large, red sweatshirt. "Man I love this thing. It's like way big so you don't have to worry about my clothes being vertically challenged either." She laughed.

Delphine smiled.

"Thank you," She said. "But what is this 'Habs'? I need to know what I will be being poster girl for."

Cosima grinned. "Habs! Man, have I never even mentioned them?! When I was a kid, Mom would take me to everyyy Habs match they played. Thinking back it was a good plan for her to get to go back home every week, but then, God, I was obsessed. They're an ice hockey team. Based in Montreal. Best team. In. The. World. Seriously, they're sick - I mean, not malade - but, like REALLY good. I still watch them, but you know, just on TV."

Delphine laughed, and nodded, still lazily stretched out under the duvet.

"Ohh, okay. Now I understand. But how could I wear something so precious?"

"Nahh, it's fine. My really old Habs sweater is like age 7-8. I never wore this one to a game, it's never made it out of San Fran yet!"

Cosima pushed open the door into the stuffy changing room, which was already cloudy with a fog of about 20 different sprays. She wafted a hand through the air and coughed, walking over to her usual spot on the bench.

"Geez! Some of us gotta breathe here!" She spluttered.

Delphine followed Cosima and threw her satchel down on the rickety wooden bench. It was uncomfortably humid and the air was thick and heavy. Alison came in and planted herself next to Cosima, just as Beth, Jennifer and Marion came through the door.

Sarah pulled her London Calling vest top off over her head, slinging it down onto the bench. She threw on a black Patti Smith 'Horses' T-shirt and a pair of black shorts.

Cosima laughed at Sarah's idea of working out clothes. Apparently The Clash was far too precious to get sweaty in. More precious than Patti Smith.

"Hey, what you got against Horses?" She joked. "Great album!"

Sarah tugged at the bottom of the T-shirt and shrugged.

"Oh, nowt. S'orrite. S got me it to try and sway my tastes. Said some'ing about me not understanding the politics, but shite to that."

Cosima laughed, shaking her head fondly.

Alison pulled out her perfectly folded lululemons and black crop top, scraping her hair into a high ponytail and pushing her head through a pink headband.

"And to what do we owe this pleasure?" Sarah jeered at Alison's new image.

"Excuse me Sarah?" She asked, raising her eyebrows.

"What's with the new kicks, Hend-rix?" She sniggered.

Alison coughed shortly and fixed her hair.

"Well perhaps I'm actually taking an interest in my fitness, unlike some people," She turned around swiftly.

"Ouch," Sarah laughed. "I was just wonderin'"

Delphine unrolled the musty Habs sweater and pulled it over her head, tucking it into a pair of Cosima's too-small shorts. The arms covered the palms of her hands, and she fiddled at the sleeves with her fingers as she made herself feel comfortable.

"Damn, Delphine, we'll make a Habs fan out of you yet, right Alison?!" Cosima grinned, admiring her own handiwork.

Delphine smiled, and sat down on the chewing gum dappled bench carefully. She pulled mustard football socks up to her knees, but they rolled right back down as soon as she stood up, showing her slenderly toned calves. Stamping on her old sneakers, she laced them up and brushed herself down, sighing with a smile. She combed her hair back with her fingers and tied it up in a tight ponytail.

Cosima jumped into her grey sweatpants and pulled the bottom of her black vest top down.

"Okay, sweet. We ready?"

"Okay, so its dodgeball today - which I'm sure many of you will be glad about," She glanced at Helena. "Or, for those of you interested, Childs is holding tryouts for the athletics team. Now don't think that's an excuse to get out of dodgeball - if you're wasting her time, I will know. So, anyone interested?"

Most of the group looked non committal; they knew how prestigious the athletics team of Grove High was. Plus Beth ruled with an iron fist, or so people said. Turned out she was a great team player, and valued every member of her team with affection, not that anyone would dare to find out. Except...

"I'll try out," Alison piped up, stepping forwards.

Angie's eyes popped from her head.

"Hendrix?"

"Yes?" She said, blinking expectantly.

"Oh, um nothing. Okay, over there then - anyone else?"

Alison jogged out of the fire door and over to Beth, who stood at the opposite side of the track, her arms folded. As she recognised the high swinging ponytail and pink headband, she rolled her eyes a little, trying to ignore the tiny flicker of relief in her stomach.

"Hey Beth," Alison breathed, trying not to show her fatigue.

"Hendrix," Beth acknowledged, nodding. "So you're the only who decided to show up," she admitted, a little disappointed.

She reminded herself that she only needed to replace one team member (who had injured herself last season), and realised that this would mean that Hendrix would make the team. But she didn't need to know that just yet.

Cosima watched her cousin curiously, jogging lightly from foot to foot as she spoke to Beth. Nobody else volunteered from the group; the only one remotely sporty was Jennifer, and she was already devoted to swimming.

"Right, so...dodgeball. I'm hoping you all remember the rules - not above the shoulders, just nowhere indecent - I'll leave that to your discretion. The captains are...hm.. Niehaus and... Manning."

Cosima and Sarah grinned at each other, narrowing their eyes jokingly as their hearts began to race competitively. They slapped their hands into a firm handshake, before standing to face the group. Delphine had never heard of 'dodge-ball', but guessed what it might mean, with dread.

Angie flipped a coin in front of their faces.

"Niehaus, your call."

"Heads,"

The face of the coin revealed was in fact tails, and Sarah smirked, raising her eyebrows at her friend.

"Okay Manning, you pick first,"

Cosima knew that look on her face, and knew what she was about to do. She pulled a pained expression to try and dissuade her silently, but Sarah ran with it.

"Delphine," She said, still looking at Cosima.

Delphine's mouth dropped open, and she shot Cosima a worried look.

"You heard her, kid, get a move on-" Angie said.

Delphine walked swiftly over to stand by Sarah.

"Jenny," Cosima said. Everyone knew Jenny was the best in the class, well maybe apart from-

"Helena,"

Helena grinned, sticking her tongue out at Cosima, who groaned inwardly. While she had Jenny's technique and speed on her side, nobody envied to be the enemy of Helena. Her disregard for the rules and liking for fouls were not to be bargained with.

"Marion," Cosima said, wanting to keep her and Jennifer together.

"Sarah," Sarah Stubbs hurried over to her team, flattered that she wasn't last, as usual.

Cosima was left with no choice. She stared into Rachel's eyes with dread. Rachel scowled back, secretly disappointed that she was being humiliated in this way - the last player left. Iron claws gripped her stomach as she fought back her embarrassment.

"Rachel," Cosima sighed, though perhaps it was best being on her side than against her. But now she and Sarah were opposing. The friction in the atmosphere around them rubbed like electric, snapping and sparking whenever Sarah caught Rachel's eye. This was going to be fun.

"Okay, so it's 4 a side until those two come back," She nodded through the open door to Beth and Alison, now small shapes at the other side of the track. "When they get back, Cosima chooses, okay? Choose your positions,"

Cosima gathered her team around her. She didn't have much to work with, except Jennifer. she barely knew Marion, and Rachel's presence ate at her confidence as she spoke tactics. However, though Rachel was a cold _bitch_, she had some skill, and was sure to enjoy this game. Cosima's team spread themselves out equal distances apart.

On the other side, Sarah's team did the same.

Cosima and Sarah swaggered towards each other, meeting at the bench in the middle of the hall, eyes glinting. Angie thrust a ball into each of their arms, threw one to Delphine, Jennifer, Helena and Rachel,and quickly hurried out of the way as she blew the whistle.

Cosima raised the red ball over her head and threw it directly at Sarah, who swerved out of the way, the ball missing her hip within a centimetre. Cosima's tongue poked out between her teeth as she grabbed Helena's stray ball which bounced past her leg.

Helena was stood, open, no ball in her hands, waiting for one to come her way with a wild look in her eyes.

"Rachel!" Cosima shouted. "She's open!"

Helena beckoned her, smiling a little unnervingly.

"I'm not participating in your childish games, Cosima. This isn't sport, this is public humiliation- " She said, turning around, striding towards the back of the hall, out of the way.

Smack.

Everyone saw the red ball bounce off the back of Rachel's head; her perfectly straightened hair ruffled. Angie bit her lip, trying to hold back her excitement, which would of course, be totally unprofessional.

Rachel span on her heel, and her eyes honed in immediately to Sarah, who stood, her eyes wide in shock, biting her lip to disguise the smile on her face. The whole room went silent, and the last flying ball bounced nervously on the floor. Rachel stooped to pick it up, and tossed it in her hands. The hurt look on her face hardened as she noted the eyes of everybody in the whole room watching anxiously.

"Oh Sarah..." She murmured, suddenly launching it at Sarah's stomach with such force that she had to duck right to the ground to miss it, feeling the wind brush the top of her head.

Rachel stared at her wildly, her own blood curdling. Sarah knew she had just signed her own death warrant. This would be fun.

"Well sor-ry Rachel 'slam Duncan'," She jeered, leaning back to see the reactions of her team.

"You're going to regret this," She said, poison dripping from each word.

Sarah smirked, and grabbed a ball from the floor, starting off a flurry of flying red spheres hurtling through the air from every player.

Cosima and Delphine exchanged incredulous looks, Delphine biting her lip in anticipation. Gripping the rubber ball in her hands all this time had made her palms sweaty, but she didn't seem to want to let go. She rolled the sleeves of her red Habs sweater up to her elbows, and brushed away a stray lock of hair which was sticking to her forehead. They were in a stalemate.

Cosima watched Delphine on tenterhooks; they were both ready to go in for the win, but neither wanted to be the first one. Sooner rather than later one of their team members was about to notice their lack of participation.

Sarah and Rachel were stuck in a heated battle, venomous smiles meeting with cocky smirks. Red balls whipped past their faces, bouncing off the brick walls behind them. Jenny caught out Sarah Stubbs. One down. Helena took out Marion, leaving Cosima and Rachel - the dream team, obviously, and Jenny.

_Meanwhile..._

"Okay Hendrix, lemme see what'cha got." Beth goaded, her fingers poised over the top buttons of the stopwatch. "I wanna see your 100m sprint, 200m, and then see how you fare with the 1500, okay?"

"M-hm!" Alison agreed brightly, shaking her arms off by her sides.

"Okay, positions then, 100m." She said, a little cynically as Alison positioned her left foot up against the white line. Beth jogged to the finish line and shouted - "On your marks, get set, go!"

She got to a good start, and ran upright, her shoulders back, her head up constantly, her eyes straining to see the finish point. She had strong legs, and she was small and light, which all worked in her favour. Sweat ran down her temple, but her fists pumped back and forth by her sides constantly. Beth watched her ever-nearing figure, glancing down at the numbers on her clock in astonishment. She flew over the line, her legs buckling a little as she tried to slow down.

"Huh!" Beth gasped, laughing incredulously. "11.6! - Hendrix, that's amazing!" She clapped her on the back, already getting excited at the prospect of the new season with her new team member. "God, who knew-"

Alison brought a hand to her mouth and rested her chin on her knuckles.

"Really? Is that good? I had no idea-"

"Pshh-yeah!" Beth exclaimed. "11.6... God..."

Alison beamed, fiddling with her cross pendant, bringing it back round to the front of her neck.

"Um, well as for the other trials, I'll let you off. That sprint was the fastest I've seen in - pffft, a long time." She coughed. "And, uh we have no other choice, y'know, so-"

"So I've made the team?" She exclaimed, covering her mouth with her hands.

Beth laughed a little and shrugged her shoulders. Alison threw her arms around her and squeezed tight.

"Hey, hey, don't crap your lululemons Hendrix," Beth blushed as her arms were crushed to her sides.

Alison laughed and brushed herself down, a curt cough to disguise her huge happiness.

"Thank you, Elizabeth." She said genuinely.

Beth's stomach twinged at the use of her full name; usually only her mother would call her that when she was mad; but she let it go. Because reasons... She gestured they walk back to the hall to join the rest of the class, and Alison hurried alongside.

"Okay, so you're one of us now. You're _with_ us, you know what I mean? Training is every lunch break and Thursdays after school, okay?"

Alison flinched inwardly. Thursday was usually the day Cosima tutored her Chemistry. Oh well, she was sure she wouldn't mind rescheduling.

"Mm? No, yes that's fine, absolutely - fine." She said, finishing on a slightly unconvincing smile.

Beth eyes her suspiciously. "Okay, if you're sure-"

They headed back into the hall, the tension hitting them as soon as they walked through the door.

"Here they are-" Angie announced. "Niehaus, do I even have to ask who you're picking?"

Cosima shook her head, her dreadlocks dancing as her grin widened. Angie gestured for Alison to join Cosima's team, and she ran over to her cousin excitedly. Her usually springy step was even springi-er, Cosima noticed.

Beth jogged over to the other team. She didn't really mind Sarah. Out of all of her classmates, she did respect her, and everyone's tendency to go to her as leader.

Angie blew the whistle, and the war resumed. Helena's hair seemed to have poofed out at least another 5 inches, and her eyes were even more crazily determined. A million schemes and demises seemed to be being plotted constantly, by the look of mischief on her face.

She and Jenny were caught in a stand-off, eyeing each other carefully, flinching at every slight movement. Helena laughed, her mouth wide open, daring Jenny with her eyes. Jennifer smiled, her heart pounding. Her arm muscles flexed as she gripped the ball in her hands.

Draw.

Helena threw the ball, and Jenny jumped up, her eyes widening in horror as she felt the ball brush her foot. She closed her eyes, and sighed, scowling in good humour at Helena, who saluted her with two fingers.

Jenny jogged over to the back bench and sat down beside Marion.

Cosima threw her ball at Helena to avenge the loss of her best player. The rubber ball bounced off her shins, and she shot Cosima an unnerving smirk before sulking off to the bench.

Between Rachel and Sarah, the tension was unbearable. In one second, they both flung their balls at each other, overhead, hitting each other simultaneously in their suicide mission. At least they both lost. Though in their eyes, they each won. Rachel smirked at having caught her out, Sarah a little devastated at having been caught out, but she left her team mates to it, and glared at her from the bench at the back.

Now it was even.

Delphine and Beth against Alison and Cosima.

Beth took a ball, and, for the first time, Cosima saw her looking genuinely stoked. Something about Alison's tryout must've turned her around, at least for today. Beth threw the ball expertly at Alison's thigh; she swerved out of the way but her hand was too slow, and she felt the rubber bounce off her knuckles. She pouted jokingly at Beth, who was completely focused on the game, but shot her a small grin before picking up another ball from the ground.

Now it was 2 against 1.

Beth threw at Cosima, who decided to go for it. She dropped the ball ready in her hands and jumped to catch it, bringing it into her chest. She grinned as Beth sighed dejectedly and sat down at the bench. Sarah clapped her on the back and gave her a thumbs up.

"Well played, Childs," She said, smiling proudly.

Beth smiled back, nicely surprised at Sarah's inclusive words.

Cosima's grin suddenly faded as she noticed their situation. Delphine was stood, frozen, on the opposite side of the the hall. She looked like a rabbit in the headlights, gripping the ball tighly to her chest, her legs stock still. Cosima held her ball in one hand, her bottom lip jutting to one side.

"Oi, come on Delphine!" Sarah encouraged, cupping a hand to the side of her mouth. "Get 'er, go on!"

Delphine glanced backwards and giggled, biting her lip at Cosima.

"Ohh, come on ladies, woman up for God's sake. This is war!" Angie shouted, crossing her arms.

"Come on, Cosima!" Alison and Jenny egged on from the bench, stamping their feet on the floor.

Cosima gave in, and threw her ball at Delphine. Her throw was a little clumsy, and it bounced at an angle as it left her fingertips. It missed, and Cosima stopped, her mouth dropped open, empty handed. She scoured the floor for another, stooping to pick it up. She faced Delphine carefully, bouncing on her toes. For a milisecond, Cosima registered the fleeting look of apology in Delphine's eyes as she sent a perfect shoulder pass over the bench. The next thing she knew, red rubber bounced off her shoulder, and Delphine had won.

She shot her arms in the air, the long sleeves of her sweater rolling up at her shoulders. She mouthed a 'sorry' at Cosima, her eyebrows raised as if her victory pained her, before the grin took over her face again. Cosima laughed a little, before slumping her shoulders and accepting defeat. She felt a pat on her back.

"Hey, well done, captain." Jennifer said, offering her a high-5.

Cosima smiled appreciatively, and returned the high-5 gleefully.

The next thing she knew, Delphine was being lifted onto Sarah's shoulder with the help of Helena and Beth, as they chanted her name over and over. Delphine grinned, a little bamboozled as they jigged her up and down, her ringlets bouncing around her face.

Cosima shook her head, laughing, and jumped over the bench to join in.

"Hey, well done!" She shouted up to Delphine who was being carried out of the hall.

"Thank you, Cosima!" She exclaimed, a little flustered.

"I'll never forgive you for that though-" She grinned, before joining in Sarah's awful chant.

"And I will never let you forget it!" She laughed.

**AN: Haha I wrote this stuff so long ago. I was writing this on my college bus about a month ago. Anyway I absolutely loved writing this one. Especially the SoccerCop and the ProPunk angst. Gosh that is fun stuff to write. Let me know what you thought! cheers guys! I just thought I might as well bite the bullet and give you like an omnibus of fic. Think of it as an early Christmas present or something.**


	26. Chapter 26

**AN: Spot the crossover character! Let me know in a review if you notice!**

"Qu'est-ce que tu as fait Cosima?" Delphine asked, as she padded barefoot over to Cosima who was pouring some mixture into a container.

"Waffles," She glanced backwards, a cheeky grin on her face. "Here, yours is done, do you want syrup?"

Delphine sat on one of the spinny stools beside the granite worktop of the island. She nodded enthusiastically. "Oui, merci."

"This looks si bon," Delphine admitted, taking a delicate spoonful.

Cosima sat down opposite her, her own plate piled with warm waffles and syrup. She grinned at her mischievously across the table.

"So, what do ya wanna do today?" She said, licking the melted syrup from her lips.

"Hmm, I don't know, what should we do? Maybe you should be my tour guide." She laughed.

Cosima nodded, her dreadlocks bouncing. "Good idea! Yeah, we haven't even been sightseeing yet, have we?"

"But I have already seen the only sight I wanted to see," Delphine said, meeting Cosima's eyes slowly.

"Pshhh," Cosima rolled her eyes, her tongue poking between her teeth. "You're such a sap, Delphine."

"Why am I?" She feigned confusion, though Cosima could see the sparkle in her eye.

"So you mean you don't wanna see any of San Fran cause you only wanted to see me?"

Delphine smirked. "No, I mean I saw the Golden Gate bridge from the plane window."

Cosima grinned, shaking her head.

"Hey, you're the cheeky one. I don't know how you dare," She said, cocking her jaw to the side.

Delphine giggled, and ate another spoonful of her breakfast, beaming across at Cosima's faux offended face.

"Okay, so you wanna see the Golden Gate a bit closer, right?" She asked.

"If you are offering," She joked.

"Then offer I shall," She grinned, holding out a hand.

Delphine slapped her hand into Cosima's grip, and they walked along the street, Delphine swinging their arms playfully. Cosima looked up at Delphine, and beamed, blinking a little in the bright sunlight. Cosima's long skirt swished around her ankles, her belly top exposing her toned stomach. Delphine's hair was tamed back into a bun, some escaped ringlets teased out by her cheeks. Their hands swung, interlocked, Delphine's fingers noticeably longer, her purple nail varnish perfect as always. Two girls in school uniforms passed them on scooters, freewheeling quickly down the steep hill.

"Oh, by the way, Cosima?"

"Yeah?"

"I could kill for some ice cream," She said, biting her bottom lip and looking at Cosima sideways.

Cosima stopped in her tracks and grinned, tilting her head.

"Okay, then your wish is my command. We're gonna go to the store and we're gonna get us some eskimo pies..." She said, waggling her eyebrows.

"Eskimo?"

"Yeah,"

"I don't think I know it," She frowned, thinking how funny Cosima was to have all these strange words. She thought an eskimo was a man wearing a furry hood in the North Pole, not ice cream.

"Then prepare yourself, you're about to become a craven addict," She said, running her fingertips over Delphine's knuckles, their fingers still locked.

"I think I already am," She said softly, smiling but not meeting Cosima's eyeline.

Cosima had no idea why that made her heart race, but her lips curved into a smile all the same. She grabbed 2 eskimo pies, paid the shopkeeper along with a friendly smile, and handed one to Delphine.

"You're gonna love it," She smiled, taking a bite into her own. The cold chocolate splintered and melted on her tongue.

"Oooh, " She exclaimed. "c'est delicieux,"

Cosima nodded in agreement, licking the ice cream that ran onto her fingers.

They ate as they walked, tossing the sticks into a bin.

"Hey, you missed a bit," Cosima said, gesturing to her mouth.

Delphine blushed, and exclaimed. "Ooh-where? Here?"

"No, a little to the left, up a bit," Delphine had no idea with Cosima's English directions. "Ah, here," Cosima gave in, tracing a fingertip beneath her lip. "It's gone."

They walked a little longer down the wide street; the road rippled in the heat and bead of sweat ran down Delphine's back as the sun beat down on them relentlessly. Cosima's sneakers cut into her heels, and her long skirt shrouded her legs in too much heat.

"Okay, and now, straight ahead we have the Golden Gate bridge. The thing we have walked all this tortuously hot way to see," She panted.

"Wow," Delphine smiled, seeing the bright red bridge seemingly stretching for miles, thousands of tiny cars hurrying to and fro like a colony of ants. A slight mist hugged the stilts of the bridge, rolling off the sea, before it was burnt off by the sun's incredible heat.

"Okay, and you have to get an obligatory picture like leaning on the bridge, you know what I mean?" Cosima laughed as Delphine positioned herself, cringing and giggling as Cosima lined up the shot, taking longer that was completely necessary.

"Ohmygod, should I get my nose pierced?" She said suddenly, glancing through the window of a tattoo parlour. "I've always wanted to, and I've got my lucky mascot with me-" She said, linking Delphine's arm. "What do you think?"

Delphine widened her eyes. "Ton nez? Un piercing?"

Cosima nodded.

"What would your mother say? Will you get into trouble?"

"Nahh, mom has loads of em herself. Whaddo you say? Come onnn...Oh! You could get one too!" She exclaimed.

Delphine lifted a hand to her nose in shock.

"Okay, okay, no nose piercing, but maybe ears...? That would look so cute on you-" Cosima smirked.

Delphine bit her lip nervously; her parents would never let her get her ears pierced, not even now she was 17. But she couldn't disappoint Cosima's grin and the sparkle in her eyes, could she?

"Oh, I'm not so sure Cosima..."

"Yeahhh, sure you're sure. Come on," She beamed, dragging her into the shop. "Okay, Imma get my nose pierced, if you don't want to that's fine, like I'm obv not gonna force you..."

"Mmmm..." She said, swaying a little. She had always wanted to anyway. "...Ohkayy,"

"Sweet!" Cosima grinned, walking up to the counter. "Hey Vic! Uh, can I get a nose piercing...?" She came right out with it.

The short, tattooed man smirked a little, and nodded.

"Yeah, sure kid. You got the money?"

"Mhmm," Cosima confirmed, nodding.

"Alright then, just come over to this chair. You gotta sign all this shit first, then we can go ahead with it..." He said gruffly, though in a friendly manner, handing her some sheets of paper and a pen.

Cosima scribbled her name and signature where appropriate, and handed it back to him expectantly. Delphine felt uncomfortable in the sterile-smelling shop, her arm crossed over her stomach subconsciously, as she returned a slightly more nervous smile than the grin Cosima was giving her.

"Alllright then," Vic said, scanning over Cosima's filled in papers. "So where abouts do you want it? Left, right?"

"My right, your left dude. And have you got any of those cool ring things, like I think I could rock that, right Delphine?"

Delphine nodded eagerly, offering her an encouraging smile.

Vic selected a menacing looking piercing gun from the side, noting Cosima's choice of piercing.

"Okay, kid. This is just the needle gun that I gotta use, it shouldn't hurt too much, but if ya really want you can hold someone's hand," He joked, laughing to himself gruffly.

"Hey, I can handle it, don't be a bitch," She grinned cheekily.

"Whatever you say..." He trailed off, a smile still lingering on his face, positioning the gun over her nose.

Cosima locked her eyes with Delphine's, determined that it wouldn't hurt if she didn't stop looking her way. She wasn't scared, but her fingertips seemed to be going white on the arms of the reclined chair.

Delphine nodded comfortingly, trying not to wince at the size of the needle gun in his hand. A quick click, Cosima's eyes flinched a little, and a silver ring was threaded through the reddened hole in her nose. Cosima wrinkled her nose a little, her eyes squinted.

"Owh?!" She whispered, before her cheeky smile returned to her face.

"Are you okay, Cosima?" Delphine asked as Cosima got up from the chair. "Does it hurt-"

Cosima laughed. "Nah, I'm peachy. Thanks man, here's the money."

She made to leave, but Delphine seemed to be dragging her heels a little.

"S'up, you changed your mind?" She grinned.

Delphine bit her lip, and nodded her head.

"I want a souvenir, I think."

"Okay, if you're sure-"

"Yes, I'm sure. That suits you by the way, you look very chouette..."

Cosima smiled, and headed back over to the counter.

"Hey Vic?"

"Yeah-" He said from where he crouched down, rifling through a box beneath the till.

"My friend wants an ear piercing - I think?"

Delphine nodded, a little nervously.

"Yeah, yeah, sure. Just-uh, sign that paperwork on the top and I'll be right there."

Delphine gripped the pen with a sweaty palm, and wrote in elegant cursive her name, address and what she was agreeing to. Vic bobbed up from behind the counter, skimmed over the form and nodded slowly.

"French, huh? How'd ya run into this one kid?"

"French penpal," Cosima said. "So, you gonna help us out or what?"

Vic held his hands up and smirked.

"Yeah, yeah, a guy's gotta do his job. If you wanna take a seat..."

Delphine slid uncomfortably into the reclined chair, her bare legs sticking to the leather. She watched Cosima worriedly, trying to force a smile onto her lips. Delphine chose which stud she wanted, and fidgeted nervously with her hands in her lap. Her parents were sure to kill her. But what was that saying...? What happens in San Fran stays in...? No wait that wasn't even a saying. She panicked a little, but Cosima's encouraging smile grounded her, and she calmed down. She felt the cold metal on her ear lobes as Vic centred the gun precisely.

"Right, like I said before, cause I gotta say this, this might hurt a bit, but -"

"Yes, I would like to."

"Huh?"

"Cosima-" She asked, stretching out a palm.

Cosima blushed a little; this wasn't doing wonders for her street cred with Vic, but she hurried over and gripped her fingers tightly, brushing her thumb back and forth.

"It's okay," She whispered.

The gun clicked, and Delphine's eyes blinked quickly, her grip tightening on Cosima's fingers. Vic moved around and lined up the gun on the other ear.

"Pauvre petit chiot," Cosima whispered with a grin.

Delphine smiled, and screwed her eyes shut as the second needle pierced her skin.

"All done!" Vic said, walking over to behind the counter. Delphine pulled out a wad of dollars from her back pocket and handed them over with a watery smile.

"Merci," She added, before pushing open the door.

"Aw, I was right. They do look cute," Cosima said proudly.

"Thank you," She smiled, her earlobes still throbbing.

Cosima's nose was also bright red, but she ignored the pain and they set off back home, taking a the detour through the mall.

"Photoboothhhh!" Cosima groaned, veering towards the tall white box in the middle of the mall. "Ohh, come on, we have to now, right?"

Delphine laughed, "Yes, okay. I love these back home also."

Cosima jogged over to the box, and pulled back the thin blue curtain.

"God, it's small in here." She said, letting Delphine sit down on the ledge.

"There is not much room for both of us," Delphine said, and gestured for Cosima to sit on her knee, pressing the button for it to start. They felt strangely nervous as the clock timed down.

Cosima grinned, Delphine's head sticking out beside her shoulder, then flung her arms around her and smiled mischieviously. The next photo was taken as Cosima's head was turned, looking down at her friend. Then she jumped up eagerly from her lap, and they rushed outside to grab the 2 photostrips.

"Oh, I love it." Delphine exclaimed, holding it in her hands. "I will keep this forever!"

**AN: This was just the definition of fluff, for no apparent reason, except for the origin of the nose ring. So yeah...**


	27. Chapter 27

Cosima looked up to Delphine's face, where her skin and hair looked even more golden in the setting sun. She smiled, gripping her hand tighter, not knowing what to say. A chilled breeze blew over from the sea, and a lone sea lion bobbed its head out of the water curiously.

"Ohh-" Delphine gasped. "Cosima, look!"

Cosima laughed as they watched the sea lion's dog-like features stare at them with a look of intrigue. It disappeared again, sending rings of ripples ebbing out and out. Delphine put her arm around Cosima's shoulder, their fingers still locked so that Cosima's arm was crossed over her own body.

Their eyes met slowly, and they both accepted that neither had or wanted anything to say. They walked barefoot back over the sand to the large bonfire, where an endless stream of black smoke swirled into the sky. In the distance some local band played rock music, and the quiet gush of the waves rushing in and out soothed Delphine's mind.

She was only just accepting that she was leaving tomorrow, and that she wouldn't see Cosima again for months, maybe even a year. Neither family had the money to send their daughters half way across the world every week, neither was it realistic.

Suddenly, crowds began to gather around the bonfire, and Cosima and Delphine were pushed to the outside of the circle. Mr Brewst climbed onto the tall wooden stage, taking the microphone from a stand and tapping into it.

"Oookkayy, are you ready...?!" Mr Brewst shouted from the stage. "Big Beach Bash '99 is about to get a whole lot hotter-"

"3, 2, 1!"

The whole crowd counted down excitedly, as a flurry of fireworks exploded from just over the hill. People gasped, and smiled, their faces lit up. Cosima pressed herself to her tiptoes; she couldn't really see anything much. Why were high schoolers so tall?!

Delphine averted her smiling eyes to Cosima, noticing she was not impressed.

"You cannot see, ma cherie?" She asked. "Here, I will give you a boost,"

Cosima grinned, blushing again at her lack of personal height.

"You sure?" She asked, as Delphine gestured for her to get on her back.

"M-hmm!" She agreed nonchalantly.

Cosima jumped lightly onto Delphine's back, and wrapped her arms around her neck. The whole sky was revealed to her; coloured glitter spattered across the wide pallette above them. It was amazing. She felt Delphine's hands adjust beneath her knees so she didn't slip off. She shivered a little, the sea breeze cool on her bare arms, and she buried her face in Delphine's neck, nuzzling into her hair.

"Is this better?" Delphine smiled.

"Yup," Cosima said quietly, a grin taking over her whole face. "Way better."

The fireworks were reflected in Cosima's glasses, Delphine's soft smiles appearing every time a colour shot into the sky. The smell of smoke, sea and hot food drifted in the air, and the last of the fireworks exploded in a spectacular golden shower. Cosima felt Delphine jump a little as the boom echoed across the sky.

They watched the fireoworks silently, before Cosima decided to call it a day.

"Do you wanna go home?" She asked, her mouth close to Delphine's ear.

Delphine nodded, jumping Cosima further up on her back as if to get comfortable.

"Yes, and I will be honoured to take you there," She giggled.

"Delphine, you're not carrying me all the way home," She protested.

"Yes I am Cosima. Besides, I've got you now." She said, trapping Cosima's legs to her sides with her elbows.

"Oh, god." Cosima sniggered. "Okay, if you really want."

Delphine walked slowly along the beach, and their bubbling laughter could be heard even back at the party.

Alison watched them fondly as Cosima was jigged around on Delphine's back.

"Look at those two," She mused to Sarah. "What will she be like without her tomorrow?"

"Cos?" Sarah said, swallowing a mouthful of beer. "Oh, she'll be alright. She always is. But Delphine has gotta be the first thing she hasn't approached logically, so it's gonna hit her hard. But she's got us, hasn't she?" She said, a sad smile pulling at her lips.

"Yes, you're right. She does." Alison smiled, as she watched their silhouettes grow fainter.

Delphine's footsteps were getting heavier, and her sides were aching with laughter. Cosima jumped down from her back and they both collapsed on the sand, giggling. They lay on their backs on the dark beach, the fireworks still crackling overhead, though now the party seemed miles away. All they could hear was the soft hush of the sea, and the sound of each other's breathing.

They rolled onto their sides, so that their noses were almost touching. Cosima grinned, and shifted her eyes shyly. Delphine smiled as if there was no where else in the world she would rather be.

"I don't want you to go," Cosima whispered.

"I don't want to go." She said, her chin trembling as she tried to hold her sad smile. "These past weeks with you have been...magique...It's nice to meet someone who finally gets it. Who gets - me."

Cosima traced her thumb over her cheek to dry her tear, and smiled comfortingly, though it was less a smile of happiness and more of finality, as if she were trying to absorb each little detail of the moment.

"Yeah, ditto. Obvs," She smiled, closing her eyes briefly.

Delphine didn't take her eyes away from Cosima's face, desperately trying to cling onto her for the last time.

"Here, look here." Cosima said, rolling onto her back and pointing at the sky. Delphine reluctantly tore her gaze from Cosima and lay on her back, and they tilted their heads diagonally so that their heads were touching. Cosima pointed to the faint stars, which were tiny white specks in the polluted sky. Her ringed fingers looked like the hands of giants as they hovered and danced around the stars above their faces.

"Okay, so look at these stars, right? I know we're biologists, not like astronomers or anything, but that star is like millions of miles away, and we can see it, and it's right there. Our world is so tiny compared to all of that up there. Like each of those stars will have their own little galaxies, and worlds, and penpals. We're only five thousand, five sixty miles away from each other." She tilted her head to Delphine. "So that's nothing, right?"

Delphine laughed. Five thousand five hundred and sixty miles.

"Yes, I suppose. But right now I am only..." She squinted. "a centimetre away from you. So it is okay..." She giggled, stretching an arm across Cosima's stomach and nestling her head into her shoulder. "We are so small in this world, aren't we? What if we never see each other again? Those stars might be a million miles away, but you might as well be when I am stuck at home in Paris."

Cosima sat up, raising herself to her elbows.

"Hey," She said, her face suddenly serious. "Listen to me. We'll do this again sometime real soon, okay? Promise?"

Delphine's frown broke into a smile.

"Okay, je te promets." She said, fitting her own palm against Cosima's, her fingers stretched out wide.

"Come on, then. Let's go home." Cosima smiled, getting up slowly and hauling Delphine to her feet.

"There is sand in the sheets," Delphine giggled, the grains rubbing against her skin.

"Eww," She laughed. "I know. That's gotta be worse than breadcrumbs, right?"

Delphine laughed, nodding.

Cosima climbed into her bed and folded the arms of her glasses down, placing them on the table. She picked up Delphine's copy of 'The Isle of Doctor Moreau' and passed it to her.

"Where are you up to?" She asked, resting her head on Delphine's shoulder, the flannel of her pyjamas warm against her cheek.

"Just the last few chapters..." She began, flicking through the pages. "I should finish it by tomorrow. Maybe on the plane."

"Yeah, it's a long journey. But hey, you'll get to see your family again, Juliette and -"

"And all my friends?" Delphine laughed sadly. "Exactement. I am excited to see my family, of course, but my school life will return to normal. You have good friends here, Cosima. Tu as chance."

"Hey, you've still got me, no matter how far apart we are, okay? I'm just a letter away."

"J'sais."

"Hey, hey. Cheer up." She smiled. "Anyway, you should probably get some sleep. It'll be a long day tomorrow."

Delphine sighed, tucking her hair behind her ear and nodded.

"Alright then," Cosima said softly, leaning over to turn off the light before shuffling down into the covers.

Delphine turned away from Cosima and stared into the dark space beside the bed, a hot tear burning her cheek. She brushed it away and swallowed painfully on the lump in her throat. How was she supposed to leave now?

"What time's your flight again?" Cosima asked, swinging her legs from where she sat on the top of the chest of drawers.

"Hm-ohh it's...at 12:20." She said, squinting as she folded up a pair of jeans.

Cosima nodded, her lips pressed together.

Delphine pressed her clothes into the case neatly, colours contrasting on top of each other.

"I will have to wear something warm I guess," Delphine murmured. "You know, for when I get back home. November is a cold month."

"Yeah," Cosima agreed, watching her own bare feet swing backwards and forewards. Her baggy grey T-shirt hung off her body loosely, swamping her black shorts.

Delphine still wore her pyjamas as she carefully selected what to keep out of her bag to wear for the day. As she tucked a pair of shorts into her bag, she noticed a rectangular piece of paper poking out of the suitcase. She picked it up and read it carefully. What the- who put that in there?! This wasn't right... Then she found another. This was the right one. What about the date? The details? Where did this even come from?

"So, what ya wanna eat for breakfast?" She asked, a weak smile pulling at her lips. "You can have anythinggg you want."

Delphine stuffed the paper quickly in her pocket and looked up into the air, pursing her lips in thought.

"Uh- ooh, anything, Cosima, really?" She smirked.

Cosima narrowed her eyes, adjusting her glasses.

"Yeahhh?" She said unsurely.

"Okay well, I would love-" She widened her eyes, "Eskimo pie. Is that what they're called?"

Cosima rolled her eyes and laughed. "Eskimo pie? Sweet idea!" She giggled, jumping down from the chest of drawers. "Sure, I'll just go right out and buy us some."

"Well, only if you want to, Cosima, not if you don't already have some,"

Cosima closed her eyes and held out a hand. "No, no-" She insisted. "Imma go down to the store and buy us some eskimo pies..." She said, jumping into some old tracksuit bottoms. "You just, y'know, enjoy." She grinned, gesturing to Delphine's suitcase. Delphine pouted, and sat down dejectedly on the bed.

With a squeak as she slid down the fireman's pole, she shouted:

"Just a sec, seeya!"

"See- you." She mumbled.

As soon as Delphine heard the door slam shut, she whipped the piece of paper out of her pocket. She couldn't think how on earth it had got to be in her suitcase. She read it more carefully. Her father's name was printed on the back - she couldn't believe he would do this for her.

Delphine held the paper in her hands, pulling it taught as she read it over and over. A small black box sat beside her on the bed; she had intended to leave it for Cosima anyway. She rolled the bobble off her wrist, folded up the paper and tied the two together, keeping them secure.

Springing up from the bed, she sauntered straight over to Cosima's paper-covered desk, the black box in her hand. She scrambled through the papers, finding a child's drawing of 3 figures, labelled Cosima, Alison and Sarah. She smiled briefly and carried on to trawl through the pile. She passed over sheets of multiple diagrams of DNA helices and studies of respiration pathways. Accidentally, she knocked Cosima's laptop with her wrist, which caused the screen to illuminate. A black screen full of 1s and 0s assaulted her vision, and she stared back at it in amazement. Why was Cosima coding binary? She hid the small black box in between the pile of pages and stood back, calming herself.

The door clicked open.

"Heyyy, I come bearing gifts!" Cosima shouted, jogging across the apartment to the stairs.

Delphine slammed shut the lid of the laptop and dived back onto the bed.

"You been sat there the whole time?" Cosima smiled softly, slinging down the bag in her hand and sitting down beside her.

Delphine's cheeks were flushed, overwhelmed, but she nodded convincingly.

"Ohhkay, well I got us some eskimo pies...!"

10 minutes to go before they had to leave. A quick knock at the door. Cosima opened it to find Scott grinning nervously.

"Hey, Cosima." He said simply. "Uh-I just came to - y'know, uh say goodbye."

Cosima raised her eyebrows, laughing.

"Really, Scotty? Yeah, whatever. Come in."

Scott walked in to find Delphine sat on one of the spinny stools next to the island, drumming her fingers against the worktop nervously.

"Oh, hello Scott." She said, her frown uncreasing into a slight smile.

"Hey," He stuttered. "I - uh, just came to say seeya."

"That is very kind." She smiled.

He blushed.

"Yeah, well it's been nice having another geek in biology - I mean, if you know what I mean. You're not a geek, well not like me - geek, you're like-"

"Scott." She giggled. "Thank you."

"Oh- hah, yeah. Um okay, well I was just dropping by. I'd better go anyway." He began to walk backwards. "Oh! Yeah, I brought you these," He said, handing her a fairly heavy paper bag. "They're Cosima's favourites. Just thought, y'know, it's a long journey and all-"

She took the bag and looked inside; it was full of blue worm-shaped sweets.

"Thank you Scott, c'est tres gentil." She smiled, putting a hand on his arm. "See you again."

"Yeah, seeya." He blushed as he was ushered out of the door by Cosima. An awkward wave, and he was gone. "God, I've never seen him so loved up. Seriously, you should be glad to be leaving the country."

"Pshhh," Delphine dismissed. "He is a nice boy. Want one?"

Delphine threw a blue sweet at Cosima who caught it in her mouth.

"I wish I could train Moot as good as you," She laughed.

Footsteps clanged down the metal stairs to Cosima's room.

"Just checking you hadn't left anything." Cosima's mom called. "Are we ready then girls?"

Delphine looked to Cosima, and they nodded reluctantly.

"Yes, thank you Mrs. Niehaus." She smiled politely. "You do not have to do this you know, I understand your shift only finished an hour ago. You must be tired."

"Nahh, it's the least I can do." She shrugged. "Sorry I haven't been around more to make you feel more at home. Work has just been...a little intense lately."

"You have been very kind to me, and I am grateful." Delphine said reassuringly. "Thank you for allowing me to come and stay."

"And thank you for keeping my monkey out of trouble in Paris." She laughed. "Come onnn, then." She said, steering Cosima through the door by a hand on her head.

AN: Aw, this is sad isn't it. She's leaving. But what the heck did she hide on Cosima's desk?!"!?L!? :O keep guessing...


	28. Chapter 28

'Boarding Plane 6, Gate 8 to Paris.'

Cosima bit her lip, her face streaked with tears.

Delphine's face was pink and full of emotion, her eyes drinking in Cosima for the last time. Cosima's fingertips clung onto hers for as long as they could, before Delphine had to let go.

Beside them Jennifer and Marion hugged happily, before Marion left to follow the group.

"Are you coming, Delphine?" She asked kindly.

She nodded, and followed her schoolmates, trying desperately not to look back. But a niggling feeling all over her body gripped at her like an iron claw. She dropped her bags and ran back to Cosima, wrapping her arms around her tightly. She kissed her on the forehead for as long as she could muster, her tears falling onto her skin. She pulled back and stared into Cosima's dark, watery eyes.

"A bientot. And I mean it." She said solemnly, pressing their foreheads together, her palms hot on Cosima's cheeks.

"Delphine!" A teacher's voice called from over near the customs desk.

She squeezed Cosima's hand tight, and ran back to her bags, running to catch up with the group, where the doors to the tunnel were about to close.

"Bye," Cosima whispered, her voice breaking. She was left standing alone, her hands by her sides, her shoulders slumped, as Delphine blew a fleeting kiss and disappeared from view.

She bit her lip hard, feeling the ghost of Delphine's hands on her cheeks and her lips against her forehead and closed her eyes, a tear falling down her face.

Cosima's mom got up from her seat in the waiting area and put a reassuring hand on her daughter's shoulder. "Awh honey," She said softly.

Cosima looked up at her mother and let everything go, tears spilling down her cheeks instantly. She wanted to disappear in her mom's familiar scent and comforting arms. Delphine was gone. On a plane to take her five thousand, five hundred and sixty miles away.

And she might never see her again.

Delphine fell asleep on the plane. Her neck flopped awkwardly, her grip around her book going limp. Her dreams were filled with a Utopian world, a mix between San Francisco and Paris, with beaches and high schools, faceless friends and light spattered skies. She shifted in her seat uncomfortably, oblivious to the miles of black ocean they were passing over. Her clothes still smelt of Cosima's house, the crumpled bag of sweets lay on her lap, nearly empty. She had been nervously snacking on them during take off; this time with no comforting hand to hold.

_The next day..._

Delphine walked down the cold corridor to math class. The weather had become noticeably colder while she had been away, and she was forced to wear a white woolly hat, with a scarf hugging her neck. The wind whistled under the old classroom doors as cold rain drops spattered the window panes. She shuddered and entered the classroom, crossing over to her empty desk again.

"Bon matin, Cormier." Mme. Bouchard greeted, her voice almost as icy as the weather outside.

"Bonjour, Madame." She replied politely, making fleeting eye contact.

She sat down on the old wooden chair, and pulled her books out of her satchel. No Danielle. No Cosima. She had no one else to be taken from her now at least.

"Tu es triste sans ta petite amie americaine?" She pressed.

_"You're sad without your little American (girl)friend?"_

"Je suis d'accord." She answered with minimum courtesy.

Delphine averted her eyes to her homework sheet and wrote down her name in her neat cursive. As the pencil pressed down, she noticed that it wouldn't write straight. She lifted up the paper and noticed two carved letters in the wood of the desk with deep ink lines etched in the grooves.

C + D

Cosima must have done it without Delphine realising. That was a brave move, especially in Mme. Bouchard's class. She smiled, and traced her fingers over the letters absent mindedly, the seat next to her suddenly not feeling so empty. Cosima might have done it out of boredom, or jest, but what she didn't realise was that Delphine and Danielle had done it many years ago, in a rare moment of rebelliousness. On the middle of the desk was a small D2, supposedly a geeky formula for their friendship. Delphine x Danielle equalled D squared, of course. It made her smile to see both side by side. It wasn't as if she would ever let herself forget her old friend, but it was nice to finally move on.

Cosima got out of bed, the duvet feeling colder and unwelcoming. She had 10 minutes to get to school, but she was in no rush. She couldn't be bothered to do anything any more. She stayed in her room for longer hours, getting up later, going to bed earlier. She pulled on some clothes she had worn last week, which were strewn around on the floor, took care over her eye makeup and ate her breakfast slowly. As usual, her mom wasn't around, she was probably asleep after her shift. Cosima creaked the door open to check she was okay and saw her mom sleeping soundly in the dark room.

She grabbed her bag, and locked the door behind her before sliding down the fireman's pole. Ambling along the streets, she looked up at the orange sky and observed the lack of people around her. Normally she would run down the side streets and take shortcuts, but today she didn't feel like it. She imagined Delphine walking beside her and shook herself. She wasn't there. And she wouldn't be again, she told herself. It had taken Cosima's mom months saving up money for her to go to Paris; it wasn't easy just the two of them, and with work at the lab getting more and more intense, Cosima didn't want to ask her mom for anything.

She reached the school gates. Arnie must have locked them up ages ago, she thought as she glanced at her watch. She didn't want to go through the main reception; they would give her detention for sure; so she launched her bag over the fence and climbed up. Sarah did this all the time, but Cosima had only had the need to once or twice. She gripped the metal railings and gained grip with her sneakers, pushing herself up. Her hands moved carefully, her grip strong but shaky. This thing was high. She kicked her feet over the other side and jumped down, bending her knees greatly. Cosima grabbed up her bag and walked across the yard and into the school. Duncan wouldn't mind she was late. Well, at least, Professor Duncan wouldn't.

She took her usual seat beside Scott, and half-listened to Professor Duncan's class. Hours might have passed and she wouldn't have noticed.

"Cosima?"

"Wha-oh, yeah?" She snapped out of her daze and looked up, her chin resting heavily in her hands.

"Glycolysis is...?"

"Oh," Cosima relaxed. "Splitting glucose molecules for respiration. A molecule of Adenine Triphosphate or ATP is added to glucose, and the added phosphate group makes it become Glucose 6 phosphate, then-"

"Thank you Cosima, we have only got up to this stage so far. Your simple definition would have sufficed." He smiled; he knew she hadn't been listening, but with Cosima, she didn't always have to.

"Cosima, are you alright?" Scott asked, sliding his book secretly I to her view as she copied his words down.

"Yeah, fine Scotty," She smiled convincingly.

"I know it's rough without Delphine, but don't forget you've still got m- Alison and Sarah and Jennifer, and-"

Cosima smiled. "Yeah, and you Scotty. You can say it."

He blushed, and hung his head.

"Yeah well, I'm not exactly the coolest person in school, you deserve better."

"Scott, you're my best buddy. Shut up." She beamed, rolling her eyes.

Cosima worked silently, her mind unfortunately distracted from the Krebs cycle by the same song bouncing around her head.  
>'Show me show me show me how you do that trick,'<p>

Maybe she realised now why Delphine thought it was love in the form of a song. (She was starting to like it, not that she would ever admit it to Delphine.)

She wondered how life at le lycée was going. It was only the first day and already it was dragging its heels.

She didn't touch her homework for as long as she could muster. Except she couldn't ignore the work she had for Duncan; she hated disappointing him and she didn't mind doing Biology anyway. As she lay in bed, she tried to ignore the fact that the extra pillow still had Delphine's lingering scent and decided to get a grip of herself.

She sprang out of bed and crossed over to her desk, rifling through the mess to find the work Duncan had set last week. She piled sheets together, smiling at the crayon drawing little Kira had given her for her birthday. Her hand brushed over something hard. She pulled up more sheets to reveal a small black box, a piece of paper held to it by what looked like one of Delphine's hair ties.

She scrabbled more papers away and swept up the box. On its label was written: Les chansons de Delphine. Ne touche pas (Juliette). A huge smile washed over Cosima's face. Did she mean to leave it? She pulled the piece of paper out from beneath the bobble and read Delphine's neat cursive: 'I told you I meant it.' With trembling hands she opened out the sheet.

Return ticket: San Francisco International to Charles de Gaulle.

21/12/99, return 24/12/99.

A tear ran down Cosima's cheek, and she laughed to herself.

"Bitch!" She giggled. "Absolute- how could she do this to me?!"

She jumped up from her seat, clutching the tape in one hand and the ticket in the other. She would see her again soon after all. She quickly slotted the tape into her cassette player and wound up the volume - Just Like Heaven blasting through her bedroom.

Cosima's mom wasn't sure she was hearing right. Her daughter listening to English alternative rock? Well, she didn't like to question it. That Delphine seemed to have made some changes around here. She laughed and shook her head fondly, hearing bangs on the floor above her where Cosima danced around her room wildly, her singing terribly out of tune.

**AN: This thing is . I can't deal with it anymore. But my beta asked for a Christmas chapter so I'll do one and end it there, i think! Please do go over to my other fic, I would really love it if you guys helped it to get off the ground. It _is_ a fluff fic, and Danielle is really shy and unfashionable and stuff so it's interesting for me to write! And it shows Delphine's career beginnings and why she is the way she is with Cosima. Thanks guys! Thanks for all your reviews, and keep'em coming!**


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